Spaulding Roundup: Air Neuheisel's Recruiting Theatrics

ryebreadaz already blogged this in fanshot. I think this is the first time I have heard this happen in the world of college football recruiting. Dohn has more on CRN taking a chopper to visit his recruits:

Neuheisel saw UCLA target Shaquelle Evans, a receiver, and his Inglewood team play against Wilson, then took a helicopter from nearby Hawthorne Airport and flew the 60 miles to watch Los Osos of Rancho Cucamonga quarterback Richard Brehaut, a UCLA commit, play Bishop Amat of La Puente and cornerback Sheldon Price, also a Bruins commit.

"That's so awesome that he would take a helicopter to see us play, Sheldon and I," Brehaut said. "It just shows how dedicated he is to his recruits, and letting us know he can't wait to get us there. It just makes you feel really cool that your future head coach takes a helicopter to see you play in high school. That's just awesome."

However, Neuheisel's plans weren't perfect.

Originally, the helicopter was cleared by the school to land on the adjacent baseball field, which would have allowed him to walk to the football game.

However, Brehaut said he received an e-mail from Neuheisel, stating the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department would not allow the helicopter to land at the school. Instead, the helicopter landed at Ontario Airport, and Neuheisel made the eight-mile drive to Los Osos High and arrived near the end of the game.

"I saw a helicopter fly over a couple times, and someone told me that it was him," Brehaut said. "A lot of people were talking about it."

And people will probably not stop talking for a while ... putting UCLA football in the radar of every major recruit in Southern California and beyond for some time. Talk about sending a message.

I think it would be safe to assume Neuheisel cleared this with the UCLA compliance officials before the trip.

As for Brehaut read the LA Times post on how the future Bruin QB pulled off a dramatic 4th quarter win in his first game of the season.

GO BRUINS.