Three Aztec Football Recruits Fail to Qualify

Linebacker Fred Harris, the 1990 high school player of the year in Louisiana, and two other recruits will not attend San Diego State on football scholarships this year after failing to meet minimum qualifications on national college aptitude tests.

Harris did not attain the required score on the American College Test (ACT); Tony Giacolone, a defensive lineman from Mira Mesa, didn’t score high enough on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) and Marvin Green, a defensive back from Lincoln, missed on both the SAT and ACT.

SDSU Coach Al Luginbill said the three would work for a year and then enroll in SDSU.

“I think starting next year is a positive for them,” Luginbill said. “They don’t have to become labeled. I hate to see kids labeled. The tests are not the final decider on whether they graduate, but it is the decider on whether they play this year.”

SDSU requires a minimum score of at least 700 out of 1,600 on the SAT or an 18 out of 36 on the ACT.

Had the three enrolled this fall as non-qualifiers, they would not have been allowed to have contact with the football program, including the academic support system designed for the players.

“We basically would have been programming them for failure,” Luginbill said.

The Aztecs signed Harris last winter. Colorado, Louisiana State, Mississippi and Texas A&M; heavily recruited Harris.

Three players who were in similar situations last year--John McCartney, a defensive back from Lincoln, Michael Landry, a defensive back from John Ehret (La.) High and Eric Sutton, a defensive back from Inglewood--have qualified and will join the program next week.

Freshman and newcomers report on Sunday and begin practicing Monday. Veterans report Thursday, and the entire squad practices for the first time Saturday.