After the drama that was Ryan Perrilloux for three years, this story on super recruit Russell Shepard is wonderful to see. It highlights the young man's character, which is apparently off the charts. But, my favorite part:

Shepard's ability to motivate and inspire extends beyond the field of play. He has reached out to players being recruited by LSU. As of Aug. 1, the Tigers have received 15 verbal commitments, including four players from Texas. Shepard says he called fellow Texans -- Stavion Lowe (6-4, 294), an offensive tackle from Brownwood, and running back Dexter Pratt of Navasota -- who were previously undecided but now are considering the Tigers.

"I told them we could make this a special class," Shepard said. "I do my research on each player, introduce myself and then tell them why they'd be important to the LSU recruiting class. I know what they're going through. This could be a dream team."

Dream team? I like the sound of that!