Long ago when I was being recruited out of HS, ND used religious pressure to recruit the best catholic players. A player who was regarded as the best in our state wanted to go to another school, but was told by his priest that it was his duty to god to go to ND. He went there and never materialized as a player. He was cut from the team during his sophmore year. He spent a year in a psycho ward. Shortly after his release, he committed suicide and left a note expressing his regrets for "failing god" because he failed as a football player at ND.
I don't think this type of thing is so blatant these days, but you know that most of the best HS players would now rebel against this type of pressure. I do beleive that ND has lost much of its recruiting network which was ingrained in the catholic culture. I have not researched it, but it seems to me that there are fewer private catholic high schools than in the past and many (Colorado is an exception) have been unable to recruit the best coaches who can get the best HS players.
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