OAKWOOD — Tony Lotti and Anthony Lotti were about as prepared for the collegiate football recruiting process as any father/son duo could hope.
And even then the longtime high school coach and standout punter found themselves facing pins-and-needles moments and gut-wrenching decisions.
"It was definitely different to anything I'd experienced," said Tony Lotti, head coach of the West Hall football program and father of one of the top punters in the southeast. "Unlike all the times I'd had other players recruited there was no way to step away from it this time. And even after all the experience I've had with recruiting, it was unique."
Add to the family factor that Anthony Lotti is a specialist -- players that are recruited differently to just about every other position -- and you have the makings of a one-in-a-thousand (if not higher) experience for the Lottis. And yet their reflections and emotions regarding collegiate football recruiting are fairly common: worry, frustration, excitement and, ultimately, relief.
Relief will be perhaps the dominant feeling for northeast Georgia's high school football players good, and lucky, enough to make the jump to the next level on Wednesday, as they put pen to paper on National Signing Day.
"It will be a definite stress relief come Wednesday," said Anthony Lotti, who will sign a Letter of Intent to play for the University of Wisconsin -- after fielding a number of late offers from programs such as Georgia Tech, Georgia and Virginia Tech. "People coming in for me at the end made it even more stressful. But as I thought more about it, I kept thinking about who has been with me since the beginning."
That line of thought -- and commitment to a commitment that Anthony Lotti made months ago -- will only add to the sense of pride that Tony Lotti was already feeling.
"It's going to be such an overwhelming joy to see Anthony sign. You get an emotional pride as a coach whenever you see any of your players sign because seeing any young person reach that goal is a great thing -- but obviously this one is going to be different," Tony Lotti said. "I still remember when he was five years old going out to the front yard to work on his punting. It's not easy to be the head coach's kid."
There is not much easy about the recruiting process for a number of players, but the road of a specialist can prove especially tricky.
While game performance is certainly weighted, punters and place-kickers are also judged by their efforts at showcases and specialized camps. And it was Anthony Lotti's work on such an occasion in Madison, Wis., that prompted the Badgers' offer, as the Spartan standout showed his abilities against 300 other kickers.
"For some reason everything clicked that day, and I won every match-up in the kicking competition, and they offered me a scholarship there," said Anthony Lotti, who took a few weeks to think about it before accepting and making a verbal commitment to Wisconsin.
Yet, as is often displayed, verbal commitments are non-binding. And players must continue to navigate their final season knowing that nothing is guaranteed. Some players change their minds, de-committing and opting for another school. Some coaches choose similar paths, rescinding scholarship offers or asking players to "gray or even blueshirt" -- options that bind players to programs but do not allow them to play on the team as freshmen.
It is not a side of the recruiting game that coach Lotti appreciates.
"I think the process has gotten a little distorted; the way the whole thing draws out weighs on a player. I've also gotten to know several college coaches very well, and I know it weighs on a lot of them too," Tony Lotti said. "If I were king for a day I would change it to where if a college program likes a kid enough to offer him a scholarship then there is a week cool down period where no contact is allowed to the player. If after that week he still wants to play for the school that offered he should be able to sign a Letter of Intent and get it over with. This whole commitment process can really be frustrating."
For so many, however, the bad feelings will evaporate on Wednesday morning, as so many players complete a long and difficult course.
"I don't even know if I'd change anything about the whole recruiting process," Anthony Lotti said. "Even if it has been tough I'm still getting what I set out for, and I'm very excited."
Not even the thought of trekking roughly 900 miles from home -- or a Wisconsin winter -- can derail the butterflies brewing in the Lotti home.
"I've already got a coat," Anthony Lotti joked.
"It's only an hour-and-15-minute plane ride," Tony Lotti said. "And I've always been a fan of young people going away to college. It's part of a healthy growth process; they have to learn to stand on their own two feet."
After years of building a platform on which to stand, so many of the area's gridiron standouts will join the Lottis on Wednesday in taking a few moments to enjoy the view.
-- NOTE: Standouts from throughout the area, including several sports stars within Hall County and Banks County will be honored in the Greater Hall County FCA's Signing Day ceremony beginning at 2 p.m. at Longstreet Cafe in Gainesville. The ceremony will be broadcast live on 1240 AM ESPN Radio and will feature interviews with dozens of standouts from a number of schools and sports. ... We will also track the announcement of Lanier defensive lineman Derrick Brown on Wednesday, as the No. 1-rated player in the state makes his collegiate choice at 3 p.m. ... We will also be tracking signing classes for collegiate programs throughout the state, including the University of Georgia and Georgia Tech.
