Nick Maddox Going to Florida State
Kannapolis star picks Seminoles over UNC, Florida, Georgia

BY MIKE LONDON
SALISBURY POST

KANNAPOLIS - Once upon a time, everyone wanted to know who shot J.R.

Now, two decades later, everyone wanted to know which college A.L. Brown running back Nick Maddox was going to attend.

Literally everyone.

''That was one of the nice things about this past football season,'' quipped A.L. Brown coach Bruce Hardin. ''Finally, people stopped asking me when I was going to retire. They were too busy asking me where Nick was going.''

Maddox estimated that he was hit with that question 100 times on Tuesday alone, before he finally settled the issue at Wednesday's unique Memorial Stadium press conference.

Much to the disappointment of Georgia and Florida fans, and to the horror of North Carolina supporters, many of whom thought they were going to land him right up until the last second, Maddox told 400 fans and media members that he would be joining Coach Bobby Bowden's already-super Seminoles.

''I figured it all out on Tuesday with my mom (Pat Maddox),'' he explained. ''Now, I'm just glad to have all this over. With all my visits, I've been missing way too much school.''

Maddox answered media questions after his announcement and handled them as effortlessly as he did opposing tacklers during a four-year varsity career that saw him amass a national record of 114 touchdowns.

Most of the questioners wanted to know how he could turn down the Tar Heels, who reportedly were still desperately sending him faxes right up to decision time.

But Maddox refused to proclaim the Tar Heels as even the runnersup for his services. He would acknowledge only that they finished in a three-way tie for second along with Florida and Georgia.

''North Carolina just didn't have the right feeling for me when I visited there,'' said Maddox.

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But the feeling that the Seminoles gave him was just right. And it was right from the very start.

It all began on Dec. 1, the first day of the football season that college coaches were allowed to make personal contact with players.

Bowden, along with two of his assistants, arrived that very day at A.L. Brown. North Carolina's Carl Torbush and Florida's Steve Spurrier sent their assistants. Both made personal visits later, but only Bowden was on hand on opening day. That made a huge impression.

''Coach Bowden said he would be there the first day and he was,'' said Pat Maddox. ''That says a lot when the big man himself comes to see you.''

Pat Maddox added that the hardest part of turning down the Tar Heels was saying no to Carolina running backs coach Ken Mack, who made a dedicated effort to land the Wonder star.

''Mack was wonderful,'' she said. ''I know he would have looked after Nick in Chapel Hill, just like he promised.''

Maddox was bombarded with recruiting promises from most schools. Bowden gave him just one, but it was a big one. Bowden told him that Florida State wanted only one running back recruit this year, and that his name was Maddox.

''They were the only school that told me that,'' said Maddox. ''They told me that right from the beginning.''

Maddox's visit to Tallahassee last weekend clinched matters.

''It was a unique visit,'' he explained. ''There weren't any superstars showing me around like there were at the other schools. I didn't see Travis Minor (the Seminoles' top running back). And I only saw Peter Warrick for about 10 minutes. But I got to see what it's really like down there.

Maddox's announcement of his decision was met with mixed emotions, but there was a unanimous roar of approval when he stated that Bowden expected him to play as a true freshman this fall.

''If I do what I'm supposed to do, I'll be on TV a lot,'' Maddox promised his fans. ''You'll know me, I'll have my number (20) on.''

After that statement, everyone roared again.