Peterson: T.J. Tampa’s unique journey to Iowa State stardom included telling Georgia football 'no'
AMES – You’ve cussed. You’ve vented to anyone that will listen. When your flight is canceled or delayed − you’re frustrated. You’ve got somewhere to be, and by golly, with heavy ticket prices these days − you expect to get there on time.
So, how did T.J. Tampa and his father handle their flight delay the morning after a 2019 recruiting visit to Matt Campbell’s Iowa State program?
They called the Cyclones football office. An assistant coach told them that since they likely were going to be in the area an extra day – to come back up to Ames and hang out at football camp.
And the moral here is that flight delays and cancellations don’t always signal the beginning of a bad and sometimes very long day.
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During this one, a Cyclones receiver recruit transitioned into a player who could end up as one of the top cornerbacks in Iowa State history.
“I never regretted anything about it," T.J. said about spending another day in Ames.
T.J. Tampa was a basketball dunking machine during his formative years
“He has elite traits,” Campbell said. “When I look at elite traits -- Will McDonald (now a NY Jets edge rusher) had elite traits. Breece Hall (now a Jets running back) had elite traits.
“With T.J., it was where can he have the biggest impact?"
That was thought to be as a receiver, during his unofficial visit. Campbell liked him there. Scheelhaase, then the receivers coach, liked him there.
“I feel I was a pretty good receiver, too,” said Tampa, who was verbally committed to the Cyclones even before his unofficial visit. “I liked that position.”
And why not? After all, he had 67 receptions for 1,323 yards and 17 touchdowns during his final two seasons at Lakewood High School in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Some schools – like Maryland, Syracuse, Wake Forest and Rutgers -- recruited him as a receiver. Georgia joined the party after T.J. and his 7-on-7 team played a series of games in the South. The Bulldogs, however, weren’t interested enough at that time to offer.
“And you should have seen him on the basketball court,” his father, Marq, told me. “He had great body control. Still does, for that matter.
“We had a (basketball) goal in the driveway. Purposely, I transitioned it from 7-foot to 10-foot. That’s how I grew up.
“T.J.’s first dunk in a game was in 8th grade. Between 9th and 10th grade, he went from not just being able to dunk, but also dunking with authority. By the 10th grade, he had a nice little (basketball) package.”
T.J. had some skills on the football field too, which stood out to Iowa State.
“I talked to coach Campbell after I was recruited, and he was like 'What do I think about giving cornerback a try?” T.J. recalled. “I knew Xavier Hutchinson was coming in to play wide receiver, so I said yeah, I’ll try it.”
T.J. Tampa drew a crowd while drilling with the cornerbacks
That thought was always out there, but until the delayed flight, T.J. still was being recruited as a receiver.
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“After the (recruiting) visit, we went back to the hotel,” T.J. said. “I was supposed to fly to Toledo for a camp, but there were weather problems.”
So instead of hanging out in the hotel or inside the Des Moines International Airport, he listened to that football staffer who suggested hanging out an extra day at an ISU football camp.
Wise advice, as it turned out.
“I did some one-on-ones at cornerback with Anthony Johnson,” T.J. said of the former star from St. Petersburg who was a player-instructor at the camp. “I kind of knew him. He said come on over to where he was.”
Assistant coaches started gathering. First, defensive coaches watched and then Scheelhaase joined them.
“I knew he was going to work his tail off, wherever he ended up playing,’ Scheelhaase, now the offensive coordinator, said. “When we first saw him, he was one of those guys where you knew immediately that he was all about (the) team.”
The Tampas met up with Campbell after the impromptu camp session. The scholarship offer was still in place, obviously, but now they were talking more about cornerback, than receiver.
Word started to spread. Georgia coach Kirby Smart was more interested than he was earlier.
“Kirby Smart made a big push,” Marq Tampa recalled. “Kirby said he’ll be a good wide receiver if he came to play for (Georgia). Kirby said if he became a defensive back, he’ll be a draft pick.”
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Iowa State’s recruiting loyalty vs. Georgia’s 11th-hour flip attempt
T.J. lived in Georgia for a few years before moving to Florida. He was there before knowing anything about the Bulldogs’ football history.
On signing day, Campbell announced 20 of the 21 committed recruits. The temporary holdout was T.J. Tampa. Georgia’s late offer was intriguing. There was no signing rush.
“I told T.J. to take some time if he needed it,” his father said. “He already had an offer from a very good school (Iowa State) that’d been with him every step of the way.
“The thing that really didn’t help Georgia, is that they didn’t offer him immediately after he went to their camp. T.J. was on their back burner, and inside, I don’t think T.J. was good with that.”
Iowa State, meanwhile, was confident T.J. would honor his commitment. Through the years, they’d built a solid relationship.
“I remember calling him on signing day, trying getting hold of him,” Scheelhaase said of messages that went unanswered. “Throughout a three-day span, you never felt (he was changing his mind). He just wanted to make sure. He had his mind set, then something else showed up. He wanted to be sure.”
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Now a senior with the Cyclones, Tampa was a preseason first-team All-Big 12 selection. At cornerback.
“I don’t take credit for a lot, but that’s one area I felt was really important for us,” Campbell said. “We started recruiting him in the early part of his high school career. We tried to do a really great job of saying how can we get this guy on the field the fastest, and where he would have the biggest impact.”
Which is on defense – where Tampa proved himself during that unplanned layover in Ames.
“I was a receiver up until my flight got delayed,” T.J. Tampa said. “Ever since then, coach wanted me to play DB.
“It’s crazy how things sometimes work out.”
Iowa State columnist Randy Peterson is in his 51st year writing sports for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at rpeterson@dmreg.com, and on Twitter @RandyPete
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: T.J. Tampa’s journey to Iowa State stardom included a no to Georgia
