SB Nation DC - Eddie Goldman Selects Florida State Over Alabama, Auburnhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48897/dc-fave.png2012-02-02T08:00:28-05:00http://dc.sbnation.com/rss/stream/25010452012-02-02T08:00:28-05:002012-02-02T08:00:28-05:00Eddie Goldman Picking Florida State Just Part Of A Banner National Signing Day For Friendship Academy
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<p>Eddie Goldman may have been the marquee name, but Wednesday's National Signing Day revealed the true depth of Aazaar Abdul-Rahim's Friendship Collegiate football program.</p> <p>WASHINGTON -- To the outside world, Eddie Goldman was the star. At five minutes past 10 o'clock on National Signing Day, a nationwide audience watching on ESPNU was patched through just in time to hear the 6'4", 300-pound defensive tackle at Friendship Collegiate Academy announce that he would be attending Florida State this coming fall.</p>
<p>"It was where I wanted to be," Goldman told America. "If I went anywhere else, I wouldn't have been happy."</p>
<p>"My feeling is relief," Goldman's mother, Sharon Davis, said. "Ultimately, it came down to who he could trust."</p>
<p>Yes, Goldman got most of the attention. But those who gathered in the Donald L. Hense Gymnasium and bothered to stay longer than the first 10 minutes saw an event that wasn't just about Goldman (whose announcement was but the first small part), but was also about his 18 teammates who had received scholarship offers to play college football.</p>
<p>Long after the ESPN cameras had been broken down and a technician had removed Goldman's earpiece and battery pack, his teammates were walking to the lectern one by one to announce their decision to attend places like Bowie State, Morgan State, Virginia State, Glenville State, Richmond and Cheyney University.</p>
<p>This sort of group recognition is part of the ethos of a program that has been made from scratch by Aazaar Abdul-Rahim, a graduate of Dunbar High School who also has two degrees from San Diego State and started the football program at Friendship in 2003.</p>
<p>"I was brought up to treat ordinary people special and to treat special people ordinary," Rahim said Wednesday after the ceremony. "And Eddie's the same way. He was asking Clemson and Alabama to take a look at his teammates."</p>
<p>Friendship Academy doesn't quite fit the profile of a rising football power. It has a perfectly respectable enrollment of around 1,300 students, more than the area's traditional athletic powerhouse, Dematha. But the school's densely packed urban location on Minnesota Avenue across from an Orange Line Metro station leaves no room for any athletic facilities beyond a gym. The football team practices on a small piece of land next to the school and plays most of its games on the road, occasionally renting out various facilities in the city.</p>
<p>"Honestly, at this point, a road game's just like a home game for us," Rahim said. "Between the rental costs, the security costs, and cleaning up afterwards, it's just easier for us to play games on the road."</p>
<p>In 2011, Friendship Academy went 9-1 against an eccentric schedule that featured schools from Maryland, New York, New Jersey, Illinois, and Ohio. Because the school is a public school, it is ineligible to compete in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference. Nor is Friendship eligible to compete in the season-ending Turkey Bowl, which traditionally determines the championship of the city's public schools, because it is not a member of the District of Columbia Interscholastic Athletic Association.</p>
<p>On Wednesday, D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray vowed to have Friendship play an all-local schedule by the fall of 2012, inevitably tying the issue to his larger, unending quest to achieve D.C. statehood. "If we want to be a state, we have to run our school sports like a state, and be as inclusive as possible," Gray said as part of his remarks Wednesday.</p>
<p>But that is for the future of Friendship Academy's football program. Wednesday's event was about the future of the 18 young men who announced their college choices to a room full of family and friends. In addition to Goldman, there was running back Albert Reid, who cited the University of Maryland's engineering program as his primary reason for choosing that school. Reid, defensive back Keith Davis (Bowie State), defensive back Douglas Moore (VMI), linebacker Selton Hodge (Richmond) and lineman Quincy Dickens (Morgan State) imitated their blue-chip peers by pulling on their school's baseball cap. The only one who spoke specifically about playing in the NFL was two-way player Ahja Frazier-Lancaster, who will be playing at the football factory that is West Virginia's Shepherd University. If he does make the NFL, Frazier-Lancaster would be only the third person in the 91-year history of Shepherd to play professional football.</p>
<p>"All we can do is preach," Rahim said Wednesday. "All we can do is point out some of the pitfalls and try to give them guidance."</p>
<p>But there's not long for Rahim to linger, even on this successful class. He claims that another one of his offensive linemen from next year's class has received 20 scholarship offers already and three more underclassmen have drawn national interest. They might want to start planning another ceremony at Friendship next year.</p>
<p><i>Click the link for more on <a href="http://dc.sbnation.com/maryland-terrapins/2012/1/31/2762675/national-signing-day-2012-eddie-goldman">National Signing Day 2012</a>. For all your recruiting news, follow SB Nation's Recruiting Twitter feed, <a href="https://twitter.com/SBNRecruiting" target="_blank"><b>@SBNRecruiting</b></a>. For complete college football coverage, please visit SB Nation's <a target="blank" href="http://dc.sbnation.com/maryland-terrapins/2012/1/31/ncaa-football">NCAA football hub</a>. </i></p>
https://dc.sbnation.com/2012/2/2/2764320/national-signing-day-2012-eddie-goldman-florida-state-friendshipSamuel Chamberlain2012-02-01T10:21:08-05:002012-02-01T10:21:08-05:00VIDEO: Eddie Goldman To Florida State Leads To High Five Swing And Miss
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<p>Eddie Goldman's commitment to Florida State on National Signing Day 2012 is a big deal for the Seminoles, without question. The Friendship Collegiate defensive tackle is a consensus five-star recruit and a top-10 overall recruit in the nation. He was always favored to attend Florida State, but in this day and age of recruits flaking on their initial commitment, the actual announcement means a lot. There's ample reason for the Seminoles to celebrate.</p>
<p>And celebrate they did, in the video we see below the jump. But watch closely late.</p>
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<p>Whatever, this is a celebration video. Those are always awkward. But here's something you probably missed.</p>
<p><a href="http://cdn2.sbnation.com/imported_assets/972095/hanging.gif"><img alt="Hanging_medium" class="photo" src="http://cdn0.sbnation.com/imported_assets/972095/hanging_medium.gif"></a></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 16px;">Awwww, poor guy :-(. Don't worry, man. You'll get that high five at some point.</span></p>
<p><i>Click the link for more on <a href="http://dc.sbnation.com/maryland-terrapins/2012/1/31/2762675/national-signing-day-2012-eddie-goldman">National Signing Day 2012</a></i><i>. For all your recruiting news, follow SB Nation's Recruiting Twitter feed, <a href="https://twitter.com/SBNRecruiting" target="_blank"><b>@SBNRecruiting</b></a>. For complete college football coverage, please visit SB Nation's <a target="blank" href="http://dc.sbnation.com/maryland-terrapins/2012/2/1/ncaa-football">NCAA football hub</a>. </i></p>
https://dc.sbnation.com/2012/2/1/2763610/eddie-goldman-florida-state-national-signing-day-2012-videoMike Prada2012-02-01T10:07:20-05:002012-02-01T10:07:20-05:00Eddie Goldman Commits To Florida State Over Alabama, Auburn
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<p>Eddie Goldman, a consensus five-star recruit, has committed to Florida State, announcing the news on television on National Signing Day 2012. Goldman, who played for Friendship Collegiate in Washington, D.C., chose Florida State over Auburn and Alabama, the two other finalists for his services.</p>
<p>"I'm going to be surrounded by a lot of talent and I'm just going to do my best to contribute," Goldman said Wednesday at a Press Conference at his school.</p>
<p>Goldman had zeroed in on Florida State in the hours immediately prior to National Signing Day. Auburn and Alabama were the other two finalists, which he named while crossing schools like Maryland off his list. But the Seminoles are not a huge surprise, given that Jimbo Fisher was the last person to visit Goldman.</p>
<p>Goldman was the second highest rated defensive tackle in the Rivals rankings, trailing future teammate Mario Edwards. He joins a Seminoles squad that may end up having the top recruiting class in the country.</p>
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<p><i>Click the link for more on <a href="http://dc.sbnation.com/maryland-terrapins/2012/1/31/2762675/national-signing-day-2012-eddie-goldman">National Signing Day 2012</a></i><i>. For all your recruiting news, follow SB Nation's Recruiting Twitter feed, <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/SBNRecruiting"><b>@SBNRecruiting</b></a>. For complete college football coverage, please visit SB Nation's <a href="../ncaa-football" target="blank">NCAA football hub</a>. </i><i>For more news, analysis, and discussion on the Seminoles, visit SB Nation's Florida State blog, <b><a href="http://www.tomahawknation.com">Tomahawk Nation</a>.</b></i></p>
https://dc.sbnation.com/maryland-terrapins/2012/2/1/2759454/eddie-goldman-florida-state-football-national-signing-day-2012Alfie Crow2012-02-01T08:00:24-05:002012-02-01T08:00:24-05:00Eddie Goldman Recruiting Announcement Time, TV Schedule And More
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<p>One of the countries top recruits, defensive tackle Eddie Goldman, is expected to announce where he will play his college football on Wednesday morning at 10:05 a.m. ET on ESPNU. Goldman played his high school for Friendship Collegiate in Washington D.C. and is expected to choose between Florida State, Auburn and Alabama. It is believed that the Seminoles are currently at the top of his list.</p>
<p>"I like coach Odell [Haggins] at Florida State. We have a good relationship. I like coach Sal [Sunseri] at Alabama. He's a real dude," <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football-recruiting/2012/1/18/2716746/eddie-goldman-recruit-alabama-florida-state-fsu-auburn-miami-commit">Goldman told SBNation.com's Bud Elliot at the Under Armour All-American Game</a>. (Note: Sunseri is no longer with Alabama, as he took the defensive coordinator position at Tennessee).</p>
<p>Florida State head coach Jimbo Fisher was the last coach that Goldman met with before he stopped making visits and he narrowed down his choices to just three schools last week. The five-star defensive lineman will make the announcement live from the campus of Friendship Collegiate in Washington, D.C.</p>
<p><i>For more on Eddie Goldman's decision,<a href="http://dc.sbnation.com/maryland-terrapins/2012/1/26/2737024/eddie-goldman-national-signing-day-2012-florida-state"> visit this StoryStream</a></i><i>. Click the link for more on <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football-recruiting">National Signing Day 2012</a></i><i>.</i></p>
https://dc.sbnation.com/maryland-terrapins/2012/2/1/2759367/eddie-goldman-announcement-time-tv-schedule-national-signing-day-2012Alfie Crow2012-01-30T14:59:17-05:002012-01-30T14:59:17-05:00National Signing Day 2012: Eddie Goldman To Announce College Choice At 10:05 A.M. On ESPNU
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<p>Eddie Goldman, one of the nation's top recruits, will announce his college decision at 10:05 a.m. on ESPNU on Wednesday, which is the 2012 National Signing Day. Goldman, who played in high school for Friendship Collegiate, is expected to choose between Florida State, Auburn and Alabama, with the Seminoles in the lead for his services.</p>
<p>Goldman is one of several recruits who will be announcing his college decision in front of a live audience. The five-star defensive lineman will make the announcement live from the campus of Friendship Collegiate in Washington, D.C.</p>
<p>Goldman narrowed his college choice down to three last week, crossing off several teams, including Maryland, from his list. With Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher being the last person to visit Goldman before he stopped all visits, most believe he'll ultimately play for the Seminoles.</p>
<p><i>For more on Eddie Goldman's decision,<a href="http://dc.sbnation.com/maryland-terrapins/2012/1/26/2737024/eddie-goldman-national-signing-day-2012-florida-state"> visit this StoryStream</a></i><i>. Click the link for more on <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football-recruiting">National Signing Day 2012</a></i><i>.</i></p>
https://dc.sbnation.com/maryland-terrapins/2012/1/30/2758842/national-signing-day-2012-eddie-goldman-announcement-timeMike Prada2012-01-26T11:19:29-05:002012-01-26T11:19:29-05:00Eddie Goldman, National Signing Day 2012: Defensive Tackle Narrows Choice To Three Schools
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<p>Friendship Collegiate defensive lineman Eddie Goldman, <a href="http://rivals.yahoo.com/footballrecruiting/football/recruiting/rankings/rank-2867">rated No. 7 overall</a> for the Class of 2012 on Rivals, has narrowed his list of college choices to three schools a week before the 2012 National Signing Day, <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/recruiting-insider/post/friendship-collegiates-eddie-goldman-to-focus-on-alabama-auburn-florida-state-with-a-week-left-before-national-signing-day/2012/01/25/gIQAtQIvQQ_blog.html">his coach told James Wagner of the Washington Post</a>. Those three schools are Alabama, Auburn and Florida State, which means Maryland, one of seven teams on his original list, has dropped out.</p>
<p>Coach Aazaar Abdul-Rahim told Wagner that Goldman will not visit any more schools or even take any visits from any coaches from now until National Signing Day. Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher was the last to visit Goldman on Tuesday.</p>
<p>The Seminoles are believed to be in the lead for Goldman's services, but a final decision will not be made until February 1, when Goldman will announce his college before a national television audience on ESPNU.</p>
<p><i>Click the link for more on <a href="http://dc.sbnation.com/maryland-terrapins/2012/1/26/2737004/eddie-goldman-national-signing-day-2012">Goldman and National Signing Day</a></i><i>.</i></p>
https://dc.sbnation.com/maryland-terrapins/2012/1/26/2737024/eddie-goldman-national-signing-day-2012-florida-stateMike Prada2012-01-17T14:04:33-05:002012-01-17T14:04:33-05:00Eddie Goldman, National Signing Day 2012: Defensive Tackle To Choose Between Four Schools
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<p>The Friendship Collegiate standout is close to committing. Where will he land?</p> <p>Friendship Collegiate Academy standout defensive tackle Eddie Goldman hasn't yet decided with which school he'll sign on National Signing Day 2012, but he and his family have narrowed down his choices to four programs, <a href="http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/ncfrecruiting/on-the-trail/post?id=5170" target="blank">according</a> to Dave Hooker of ESPN. The four candidates to sign the five-star recruit are the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/alabama-crimson-tide">Alabama Crimson Tide</a>, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/auburn-tigers">Auburn Tigers</a>, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/florida-st-seminoles">Florida St. Seminoles</a>, and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/miami-hurricanes">Miami Hurricanes</a>.</p>
<p>Sharon Davis, Goldman's mother, told Hooker her son will choose between the four schools he's already visited, and will not use his fifth and final official visit he is allowed.</p>
<p>Alabama has appeal as the defending national champions and, as Hooker notes, Goldman and 'Bama recruit Cyrus Jones have become "really good friends," according to Davis. Auburn can offer early playing time, Hooker says, while Florida State impressed Goldman during his official visit. Miami's selling point? "There has always been a draw to Coral Gables," says Hooker.</p>
<p>Goldman could make his announcement before National Signing Day 2012, which is Feb. 1.</p>
https://dc.sbnation.com/maryland-terrapins/2012/1/17/2713878/eddie-goldman-college-football-recruitingEvan Dunlap