Highly touted prospect Randle gets tour of Capitol

• By MICHELLE MILLHOLLON
• Advocate Capitol News Bureau
• Published: Jan 28, 2009 - Page: 1C - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

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The state’s top football prospect got a personal tour of the State Capitol recently from the governor’s chief of staff.

Timmy Teepell, Gov. Bobby Jindal’s top aide, confirmed Tuesday that he met with Rueben Randle at LSU’s request.

Randle — a Bastrop High School student who Rivals.com lists as the second-best high school senior prospect in the nation — was in town this past weekend for his official visit to LSU.

The governor did not meet with the wide receiver recruit.

Jindal’s press secretary, Kyle Plotkin, said the request from LSU was for Randle to meet with Teepell.

Teepell said, “I gave him a tour and told him some great stories.”

Randle is expected to announce on Feb. 4 which college he will attend. LSU, Alabama and Oklahoma are reportedly his finalists.

Randle’s high school football coach, Brad Bradshaw, said he did not ask which way Randle was leaning after the trip.

Bradshaw said Randle had a good time in Baton Rouge but did not mention the visit to the Capitol. He said he was unaware of an interest in politics.

“I know he’s a very bright young man,” Bradshaw said.

State Sen. Mike Walsworth, who visited with Randle during the tour, said he and Randle’s family talked more about Bastrop’s economic problems than about football.

International Paper announced late last year that it was closing its Bastrop mill, an economic driver in the northeast Louisiana town.
Walsworth, R-West Monroe, said he was careful to avoid violating any recruiting rules.

“I just said, ‘Look we would love for you to stay in the state of Louisiana.’ That’s all I said,” Walsworth said.