East Carolina became the
first major school to offer linebacker Rodney Paulk of Richland
Northeast High in Columbia, SC, a football scholarship back in March
2005. Paulk chose instead to accept a grant-in-aid from South Carolina.
The Pirate coaching staff
didn�t let that setback discouraged them. Instead, they repeated their
recruiting strategy with another member of the Paulk family, becoming
the first school to offer Rodney�s younger brother Leonard while he
attended ECU�s summer camp in June.
This time the Pirates got
their man.
Leonard Paulk, a
5-foot-11, 180-pound defensive back, became the seventh player overall
and the first from out of state to join ECU�s recruiting Class of 2008
late last month. The Pirates are the only Football Bowl Subdivision
program to offer Paulk, who has been a starter the last two seasons at
Richland Northeast.
�It was all similar to his
brother,�� said Richland Northeast coach Jay Frye. �They (ECU) were the
first ones to offer. Leonard really thought a lot of their coaches. He
knows their program is on the rise and he was just very impressed by
everything up there.��
Leonard is the just the
latest product of a football-playing family that started with cousin Tim
Paulk. Tim Paulk was an All-Southeastern Conference linebacker at
Florida in 1990 and 1991 and was selected in the seventh round of the
1991 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons.
Next came Rodney, a
6-foot, 217-pounder who was rated one of the nation�s top linebackers as
a senior in 2005 at Richland Northeast. Rodney earned second-team
freshman All-American honors from The Sporting News last year with the
Gamecocks.
Leonard Paulk joined his
brother on the Richland Northeast varsity squad in �05 as a sophomore,
working mainly on special teams. He earned a starting job last season at
safety, making 75 tackles, five pass breakups and five fumble
recoveries.
�Because everybody in my
family plays sports I grew up in a competitive environment,�� Leonard
Paulk said. �My brother and I were always trying to outdo one another.
It didn�t matter what it was we were doing � track, wrestling, football,
basketball. Neither one of us likes to lose, and I think that�s helped
me become a better football player.��
Frye said Leonard and his
older brother play with similar styles.
�Neither one of them is
afraid to stick his nose in there, that�s for sure,�� he said. �Rodney
is probably a little bigger and stronger. But Leonard is still growing
and he�s getting bigger all the time. Leonard is not even 17 years old
yet. I think he turns 17 in November or December. When he matures he�s
going to be a strong kid, no doubt about it.
�But both of those kids
are aggressive and they have tremendous character about them. They�re
both excellent in the classroom and they are kids you don�t have to
worry about in regards to discipline.��
Frye is using Paulk in a
variety of ways this season. Paulk has played safety, cornerback and
returned kicks.
�He has tremendous
instincts,�� Frye said. �He does a great job breaking on the football.
He�s a good open-field tackler and he�s aggressive. He�s coming through
and making big plays for us.��
Through the first six
games this season, Paulk had produced 54 tackles on defense and returned
a kickoff 92 yards for a touchdown.
�We�re not doing as well
as I hoped we would,�� Paulk said. �But now we�re getting into region
play and I hope we can step it up now.��
The Pirates have recruited
Paulk to play cornerback, according to Frye. But Paulk himself is ready
to play anywhere Coach Skip Holtz wants to use him.
�Anywhere I can help the
team,�� Paulk said. �I think I can come in there and help them right
away. It doesn�t matter where I play. I just want to go there and help
them win.��
Paulk is the fifth
defensive back prospect to commit to the Pirates.
[View
thumbnail sketches of other players verbally committed to join ECU's
recruiting class of 2008.]
