About Alan Parham

Getting Through the Maze Is a True Challenge College athletic recruiting is a complex, intertwining maze of people and decisions which flows in no predictable way. With prospects, parents, coaches, advisors, peers and onlookers participating in varying degrees of influence, a recruit’s world is in constant flux. Call it “prospect interrupted.” We know that it all … Read more

“The” Talk?  Sooner Than Later is Better While there is a growing urban legend that earning a college degree is less valuable today than in previous decades, the facts attest to a far different story, flipping the idea on its proverbial head. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, workers 18 year of age and over … Read more

Prospects Can Help Themselves by Opening Up About Their Dreams What do you say to college coaches when you meet them? For college prospects that have a deep-seeded desire to play their sport at the next level, normal pleasantries aren’t enough to sway a coach. We’ve learned over the years as college scouts, that is, … Read more

Georgia Bulldog Builds Lifetime of Impressive Stats and Honors Go through the litany of former NSR prospects and perhaps no other individual is as tied to excellence as former University of Georgia and current Pittsburgh Steeler standout Hines Ward.  As one of the NFL’s most prolific pass catchers since entering the league in 1998, Hines has … Read more

Sooner Captain Putting Up Heisman-like Stats While much of the attention this football season has been focused on Stanford signal caller Andrew Luck, former NSR prospect Landry Jones, a two-year starter for the Oklahoma Sooners, has once again been posting impressive stats.  With a 164.87 passing efficiency rating, Landry has completed 111 of his 155 passing attempts for a … Read more

NSR Founder Bob Rigney’s Legacy Lives On This month signals the 32nd anniversary of founding of America’s first high school scouting and college recruiting organization, National Scouting Report (NSR).  In 1980, Bob Rigney changed college athletic recruiting when he began to promote high school athletes directly to coaches through his scouting reports.  Bob’s legacy is unmatched in its … Read more

The Influence of That Moment is Far-reaching Beyond Expectations Putting on a college athletic uniform for the first time is one of the most thrilling moments an athlete can experience. The countless hours of work, sweat, sacrifice and, often, physical pain required to reach that seminal point are suddenly all worthwhile. For high school prospects, … Read more

One Letter Does Not a Scholarship Offer Make  Recruiting letters from college coaches are a prospect’s first, real connection to those schools’ coaching staffs. They signal to a prospect that they could conceivably become an actual recruit. But, as exciting as it is to receive one, prospects would be wise to keep them in proper perspective.High … Read more

An NSR AD or Area Scout Can Clear the Way for Prospects The recruiting process is a heady experience which can take a recruit on a daily rollercoaster ride of emotional ups and downs. For NSR prospects, you know, the lucky ones who constantly hear from college coaches through the receiving recruiting of letters, emails … Read more

Experienced NSR AD Sends Lacrosse Player in an Unexpected Direction   NSR OTG (on-the-ground) scouts are not merely scouts, they must call on a myriad of skills to properly vet prospects they discover. Being a keen analyst is one of those integral skill sets. In the case of NSR AD (Area Director) Rodney Palmer of … Read more