That old saying about having to recruit the mom took a different twist when the Broncos courted defensive back Lee Hightower.
The true sophomore safety had to recruit his own mother.
Hightower was on his visit to Yale in January 2011 when Boise State called to recruit him. He was deciding between Yale and Penn at the time, but the Boise State offer intrigued him.
He visited Boise the next weekend.
Hightower was familiar with Boise State because of friendships with cornerback Bryan Douglas, who was already on the team, and cornerback Chaz Anderson, a 2012 recruit who already had his eye on the Broncos.
Anderson even suggested that Hightower reverse the process and recruit the Broncos.
“I never thought it was going to happen,” Hightower said, “but the pieces fell into place.”
The last piece: his mom. She liked the idea of an Ivy League education.
“We went through some long talks,” Hightower said.
The Broncos got their man, and nobody knew at the time how critical that decision would be for Boise State — or how rewarding for Hightower.
He impressed in fall camp and coaches pulled his redshirt in mid-October to improve the depth on special teams. By the time the Broncos faced TCU in mid-November, Hightower was forced into the lineup at cornerback because of injuries. He was burned for a big touchdown catch in the first half but grabbed an important interception in the second.
He started the final four games at cornerback — experience that sparked a strong spring.
“The fact that I’ve been in the game situations and I know how practice relates to games now, it helps me get into the flow of practice,” Hightower said. “I know how to correct myself and how to watch film.”
He moved to free safety in the spring, the position for which he originally was earmarked. He’s a big hitter who is expected to replace four-year starter George Iloka.
If Hightower improves his balls skills — he dropped at least a half-dozen interceptions in the spring — he could make a major impact.
“I like safety a lot because I feel I have more control over the game,” he said. “You get to help (against) the run. You’re kind of running the defense at the same time.”