Former star wide receiver Geoff McArthur was serving as a counselor at one of Cal's summer camps in 2008 when he was made aware that a top recruit by the name of Keenan Allen was on the field.
He heard the Bears wanted him bad. Now he can see why, at the expense of one of his records.
Allen, now a junior at Cal, needs only three catches to pass McArthur and become the Bears' all-time leading receiver. McArthur caught 202 passes from 2000-2004.
"I remember watching him move around -- he was tall, fluid, very smooth," said McArthur, now the head football coach at the Niagara Academy, outside Toronto. "I had no idea he was going to be able to do what he has done so fast. He's just a phenomenal athlete. He has crazy ability. He's something special."
McArthur was pretty special himself during his tenure at Cal. He led the nation in receiving yards in 2003 with 1,504 and was second in touchdowns with 10. He was named a second team All-American. McArthur also is Cal's all-time leader with 3,188 receiving yards.
A knee injury derailed McArthur's NFL aspirations so he's taken to the coaching ranks. After leaving Cal, he became the offensive coordinator at Kennedy High School in Richmond. He then went on to work with DeBartolo Sports Academy, where he helped train elite high school athletes across the country.
Eventually, McArthur decided to return to school, so he attended Lindenwood University in the St. Louis area, where he was the wide receivers coach and earned his Master's in Education. That then took him to the Niagara Academy, which specializes in training and preparing Canadian high schoolers for NCAA competition.
"Right now, I'm trying to have as much fun as I can doing this," McArthur said. "Eventually, I want to get into college coaching again. But at the end of the day, I want to help kids. I like helping kids use athletics to achieve their goals."
McArthur says he is still a "diehard Bears fan" who follows the team whenever he can. He also welcomes Allen breaking his record, which could happen Saturday when Cal visits Utah.
"I encourage it and hope it happens," McArthur said. "Anytime you can bring that kind of attention to Cal -- anything that is pro-Cal -- I'm all for it. I'm blessed and happy that I got the records I did. But guys like Keenan and DeSean Jackson are just a different breed of cat. Keenan is just that good. He's got that X-factor. He looks like he's ready for the next level."
He heard the Bears wanted him bad. Now he can see why, at the expense of one of his records.
Allen, now a junior at Cal, needs only three catches to pass McArthur and become the Bears' all-time leading receiver. McArthur caught 202 passes from 2000-2004.
"I remember watching him move around -- he was tall, fluid, very smooth," said McArthur, now the head football coach at the Niagara Academy, outside Toronto. "I had no idea he was going to be able to do what he has done so fast. He's just a phenomenal athlete. He has crazy ability. He's something special."
McArthur was pretty special himself during his tenure at Cal. He led the nation in receiving yards in 2003 with 1,504 and was second in touchdowns with 10. He was named a second team All-American. McArthur also is Cal's all-time leader with 3,188 receiving yards.
A knee injury derailed McArthur's NFL aspirations so he's taken to the coaching ranks. After leaving Cal, he became the offensive coordinator at Kennedy High School in Richmond. He then went on to work with DeBartolo Sports Academy, where he helped train elite high school athletes across the country.
Eventually, McArthur decided to return to school, so he attended Lindenwood University in the St. Louis area, where he was the wide receivers coach and earned his Master's in Education. That then took him to the Niagara Academy, which specializes in training and preparing Canadian high schoolers for NCAA competition.
"Right now, I'm trying to have as much fun as I can doing this," McArthur said. "Eventually, I want to get into college coaching again. But at the end of the day, I want to help kids. I like helping kids use athletics to achieve their goals."
McArthur says he is still a "diehard Bears fan" who follows the team whenever he can. He also welcomes Allen breaking his record, which could happen Saturday when Cal visits Utah.
"I encourage it and hope it happens," McArthur said. "Anytime you can bring that kind of attention to Cal -- anything that is pro-Cal -- I'm all for it. I'm blessed and happy that I got the records I did. But guys like Keenan and DeSean Jackson are just a different breed of cat. Keenan is just that good. He's got that X-factor. He looks like he's ready for the next level."
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