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Signs of the times: the evolution of the young star athlete

Published December 16, 2005 at midnight

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Then: Beth Daniel

Women's golf wasn't even an NCAA sport when Daniel accepted a golf scholarship to Furman University in Greenville, S.C. She led the school to the 1976 Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women national championship and captured the U.S. Women's Amateur title in 1975 and 1977. Daniel qualified for the LPGA Tour in 1979 at age 22.

Now: Paula Creamer

She left California at 14 to enroll at IMG Academies, where she "majored" in golf. In May, Creamer won the Sybase Classic in New Rochelle, N.Y., at 18 years, 9 months and 17 days, making her the second-youngest first-time winner of an LPGA event. A few days later, she graduated from Pendleton School at IMG. On July 23, she added a win in the Evian Masters in France, becoming the youngest golfer to reach $1 million in LPGA career earnings.

Then: Barry Sanders

Sanders, one of the greatest running backs in NCAA and NFL history, played high school ball in Wichita at a time when many prodigies flew below the national radar. He was recruited by a handful of regional schools, including Wichita State and Oklahoma State. Sanders signed with Oklahoma State and entered the 1989 NFL draft after his junior season. The Detroit Lions made him the third selection overall, and he went on to have a Hall of Fame career.

Now: Matt Leinart

In an era of Rivals.com, Nike camps, the Internet, super scouts, national TV coverage, etc., elite high school players are identified as early as ninth grade. Leinart, a quarterback, started receiving recruiting letters well before he was old enough to drive. By the time he left for Southern California, he was a Parade All-American, Super Prep All-American, Prep Star All- American, Student Sports Senior All-American, Prep Star Dream Team member, Student Sports Top 100 member and Gatorade California Player of the Year.

Then: Kyle Rote Jr.

Rote, the son of a football legend, was captain of his basketball and baseball teams and starred at quarterback and safety in football in high school in Dallas. After playing one year of football at Oklahoma State, Rote transferred to the University of the South in Sewanee, Tenn., where, as a paying student, he switched to soccer, considered a secondary sport. Rote was a first-round draft pick of the North American Soccer League's Dallas Tornado in 1973 and, in the league's early days, he was considered the "Great American Hope."

Now: Freddy Adu

Adu, a prodigy who learned to kick a soccer ball at age 2, joined IMG Academies, U.S. Soccer's full-time residency program, at 13. At 14, he signed a six-year deal with Major League Soccer and a reported $1 million contract with shoe manufacturer Nike. He is being hailed as the savior of American soccer.

Then: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

When the legendary center entered UCLA, under his birth name of Lew Alcindor, freshmen weren't eligible for varsity competition — the rule was designed to allow students time to adjust to college life — and the NBA wouldn't accept a player until his college class had graduated. After leading UCLA to an 88-2 record in three seasons, he was selected by the Milwaukee Bucks with the No. 1 pick in the 1969 NBA draft.

Now: LeBron James

After his junior year at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron, Ohio, James declared for the NBA draft, but his request was rejected. During his senior season, James appeared on the covers of Sports Illustrated and ESPN The Magazine, and several of his games were televised nationally on ESPN2 and on pay-per-view. In April of his senior year, the day after declaring for the NBA draft, he signed a contract with Nike for $90 million. The Cleveland Cavaliers made him the first pick of the 2003 draft, signing him to a three-year contract worth $12.96 million, the NBA maximum.