TARENTUM -- Les Kemp first encountered the college football recruiting process as a senior at Highlands High School. Kemp was a feature running back who put together a fine scholastic career, becoming the first Highlands player to rush for more than 1,000 yards. A Pittsburgh Press Finest 44 selection alongside the likes of Bill Fralic and George Little, Kemp could have gone to a big college. But things didn't work out. "I had all the tools, but I didn't take care of business in the classroom," said Kemp, 41, of Tarentum. Instead, Kemp attended NAIA West Virginia State and then went to Arizona Western junior college. As the years passed, he often wondered what might have been. Kemp wanted other good players to have the chance he had. That's a major reason why he founded A-K Recruiting in 1999. "Being the avid sports fan I was," Kemp said, "I attended a lot of games and camps. Wherever there was a camp, I was there. "I knew there were a lot of kids out there that were under-recruited," Kemp said. "There's a lot of talent in western Pennsylvania and the A-K Valley. I wanted to help open college recruiters' eyes to that." A-K Recruiting, which features a camp for perspective college recruits, has given local players an avenue, and some early insight, into the recruiting process. Along with testing players in 40-yard dashes and shuttle runs, Kemp puts together highlight tapes and constantly chats with college coaches. "They know me well at the post office," Kemp said with a grin. "It's about finding the right fit for a kid. I want to help parents to understand the whole process since most of them have never been through it. They basically want to know: when does my son become a perspective student-athlete• How and when does my son get on the radar?" Kemp estimates he's helped more than 200 student-athletes find college football careers at schools ranging from the NCAA Division I level down to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). Kemp also tries to help pave the road off the field for student-athletes. "I tell kids, 'You already know how to be a decent football player,'" Kemp said. "'Now, you have to learn how to be a good student.' "You have to put the student in student-athlete." Some of the players Kemp has worked with include former Highlands quarterback Matt Bonislawski (Connecticut), former Woodland Hills receiver Ryan Mundy (Michigan) and former Butler lineman Tyrell Sales (Penn State). "Every so often, some kids come along, and you say, 'Those are the ones that make you smile,'" Kemp said. "They just got it." When he's not helping to furnish the futures of football players, Kemp is out improving the look of residents' back yards. Kemp runs a landscaping business in Natrona Heights, Harrison, specializing in "waterscape" design. "Ponds and waterfalls," Kemp said. "I install water gardens. I sell plants and fish to go with them. "When I have some down time, I go into the woods and look for stones and boulders I can use." College recruiters do the same thing every year. Additional Information:

Les Kemp

Age: 41. Hometown: Tarentum. Family: Sons, Marcus, 22, Terrell, 19, Jordan, 17; daughter, Whitney. Occupation: Self-employed landscaper/head of A-K Recruiting. Hobby: Attending sporting events. Shoe size: 13.

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