National Signing Day is essentially a national holiday in the world of college football. First year Eastern Michigan coach Chris Creighton treated it as such.
The day for Creighton and his staff was filled with high school players making the call and faxes to make their verbal commitment to EMU an official member of the football team.
EMU ended the day with a total of 17 players becoming new student-athletes at the university.
The 17 recruits hail from Michigan, Ohio, Florida, and Minnesota.
Coach Creighton and athletic director Heather Lyke finished the day by hosting a banquet for the public at the convocation center in honor of National Signing Day.
Creighton began the banquet with an introduction for every coach to his newly completed coaching staff.
“As coaches, we must ask ourselves ‘Why are we here?‘” Creighton said in his speech. “Coaches are there to be there for these young men, help guide them through the ages of 18-22 years of age, and each of these men on this stage are just that type of coach.”
After introductions were completed, coach Creighton discussed all 17 players that signed during the day and explained what attracted the coaching staff to recruit them. This discussion also came with video showing game film of each of the players that the coaches watched.
“This process in the six weeks that I have been here has allowed me to find some great players to add to this program,” Creighton said. “These new players will reach in and work for that goal, as will the players already here. We must all work hard in order to create that winning program we are reaching for.”
Following Creighton’s address, meals were offered and each of the coaches approached the crowd and sat amongst the public and talked to the people.
“We wanted to talk to the people that came out and tried to get a feel of the atmosphere and what this town and people are like,” EMU defensive coordinator Brad McCaslin said.
