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Tuesday, May 16, 2000 By Mike White, Post-Gazette Sports Writer
About a week ago, Sharon Coach Jim Wildman posed an important question to star receiver Terrance Phillips.
"There had been a lot of college coaches at our school the last few weeks," Wildman said. "So I asked him if he was ready to pull the trigger and decide?"
Phillips gave his answer yesterday.
Phillips, a 6-foot-1, 185-pound junior, made a verbal commitment to Penn State. He is Penn State's first recruit in the class of 2001.
Phillips also had scholarship offers from Michigan, Notre Dame and Kentucky. He made unofficial recruiting visits to Penn State and Michigan.
"He was always pretty strong with Penn State," Wildman said.
Phillips has been a starter since his sophomore year and caught 30 passes last season. He also played strong safety and defensive end, but was recruited by Penn State to play receiver. He attended Penn State's camp the past two summers.
"He had struck up a pretty positive relationship with [Penn State assistant] Tom Bradley, and when he visited up there he spent some time with their receivers coach, Kenny Jackson," Wildman said. "There was a lot he liked about the place."
Wildman then stuck his tongue firmly in his cheek and said, "You know, Bradley is a very personable guy. I just hope he doesn't screw this one up now that he has that big title of defensive coordinator."
Phillips is the 17th Division I recruit in Wildman's 23 years as Sharon's coach. But he won't be the last from the class of 2001. Junior Marlin Jackson is considered one of the best cornerbacks in the East.
Jackson has scholarship offers from numerous colleges, but Penn State and Michigan are the leaders. Assistant Teryl Austin is recruiting Jackson for Michigan. Austin played for Wildman at Sharon.
"Marlin kind of likes Teryl, but he likes Bradley, too," Wildman said. "Marlin's going to the Michigan camp this summer, and then we're going to a 7-on-7 camp at Penn State. So I told both Teryl and Tom that it's all on them now, and not me."
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