Flashing the “L” sign during a National Signing Day celebration across the street from Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium are (from left) linebacker Keith Brown, defensive back Gerod Holliman and linebacker James Burgess, Jr. They all hail from Miami high schools, and are among 10 new players from Florida. The current roster now includes 31 Floridians.
The more than 200 fans packed into the old Parrish House for the National Signing Day party sponsored by the Louisville Sports Report came to see video highlights of the University of Louisville’s 2012 football signing class.
They would get much more than that.
Lots of oohs and aahs during the videos, the highlights underscoring the fact that Charlie Strong has once again landed a stellar recruiting class. But what brought the crowd to its feet was when Jack Coffee announced that he had a surprise visitor at the meeting.
Gasp.
Down through the crowded aisle comes none other than Keith Brown, the four-star linebacker who recently announced on national television that he wanted to play for the University of Louisville.
When all the cheering finally sudsides, Brown relates that he has brought a couple of friends with him. His friends turned out to be four-star defensive back Gerod Holliman and three-star linebacker James Burgess, Jr.
All smiles, expressing their excitement at being a part of Charlie Strong’s program at Louisville and their optimism and confidence in the future. As they are leaving, autographs, camera flashes, L signs, high fives, low fives.
The excitement has indeed returned to U of L football, the future beckons.