Tough decision for Breaston ends up Michigan blue

Woodland Hills coach George Novak was on the phone with Pitt associate head coach Bob Junko, had a Northwestern assistant watching film nearby and was awaiting the arrival of Michigan's Lloyd Carr when Steve Breaston walked into the athletic office Monday morning with the news.

Breaston was going to Michigan.

The scene was evidence of the whirlwind recruitment of Breaston, considered one of the most exciting players in recent WPIAL history. The revelation of his college decision, however, did little to stop the recruiting intensity.

"They weren't necessarily camped outside the house, but it got out that one, he was going to make a decision; and two, it could possibly be Michigan," Breaston's older brother, David, said. "It was hectic, really hectic."

Breaston had already surprised Carr and assistant Teryl Austin, who were visiting his North Braddock home, by informing them Monday that he wanted to commit to Michigan, choosing the Wolverines over Pitt.

"Coach Carr was pretty excited," Breaston said. "He's pretty laid back. When I told him, he jumped up. It caught me off guard."

Breaston announced his commitment to Michigan, along with that of the Wolverines 6-foot-5, 290-pound tackle Brian Borgoyn to Penn State, at a news conference Tuesday morning at the Woodland Hills gymnasium.

"We've been very forunate in our football tradition here at Woodland Hills," Novak said of Breaston and Borgoyn, "and they set the standard for the rest of the Wolverines to come through, as far as success in a high school career."

A dynamic 6-2, 170-pounder with electrifying elusiveness and game-breaking speed, Breaston played quarterback, cornerback and returned kicks for the WPIAL Class AAAA champions and PIAA runners-up. He rushed for 1,720 yards and 23 touchdowns on 146 carries, passed for 596 yards and nine touchdowns and returned punts of 62 and 93 yards for touchdowns this past season.

Breaston, however, will switch to wide receiver in college.

"I always wanted to play receiver," Breaston said. "I know it's going to be difficult. I'm not going to have the ball in my hands on every play, like I did at quarterback. But I can make the adjustment. I think I'll do well there at the next level."

That initially boded well for Pitt, which lost All-America wideout Antonio Bryant to early entry in the NFL Draft and is in dire need of receivers. Breaston, who said he had so many offers he "lost count," had visited Georgia Tech, Michigan and Pitt, and canceled scheduled trips to Boston College and Northwestern.

"Pitt was really close to being my top choice," Breaston said. "Pitt's got great receivers. They showcase their receivers every year. Michigan's more of a run-first team. I thought hard about that.

"What it all came down to (is) I was looking for a new experience."

The new coaches from Florida and Indiana called Monday, with both schools making last-ditch efforts by reportedly floating scholarship offers for Breaston to play quarterback. By then, it was too late.

During the Michigan visit on the weekend of Jan. 12-14, Breaston was enamored with the Ann Arbor campus and the Wolverines' storied tradition.

"At the visit, he said he had a really good night with the players and wanted to commit," David Breaston said. "I said, 'Steve, you're on their ground. Wait until you get home and see if you feel the same way.'"

So Breaston postponed his Northwestern visit to accommodate the Panthers, who have four Woodland Hills alums on their roster. Breaston visited Pitt this past weekend, which he said only made his decision more difficult.

Upon learning of his decision, Panthers coaches Walt Harris and Junko made an 11th-hour push to try to convince Breaston to change his mind much the same way they did last year with Aliquippa's Bernard Lay, who switched his commitment from Penn State to Pitt in a span of less than 24 hours.

There was one problem: Breaston wasn't home.

"After the Pitt visit, he said, 'It's a hard decision now,'" David Breaston said. "They had a great shot. They were ranked 1A or 1B. I wouldn't put them second."