Idaho State commit from Eagle wasn't sure about the Bengals right away

Idaho State offered Eagle High School defensive back Josh Labrador a football scholarship last spring.
But the 6-foot-1, 215-pound safety was skeptical.

“I just didn't really know too much about (Idaho State), to be honest,” Labrador said. “I'd heard of ISU, of course, but I'd never been to Pocatello.”

The more he learned about the Bengals and talked with the coaching staff, though, the more Labrador liked what he saw.

He committed to Idaho State in December.

“All my life, I haven’t heard much good about ISU until the current staff that is there now,” Labrador said. “Coach (Mike) Kramer, he’s been rebuilding the program.”

Labrador was at Holt Arena when the Bengals beat nationally-ranked Cal Poly in front of a season-high crowd of 9,323. As the Dome was rocking and the Bengals were on their way to a winning season for the first time in a decade, Labrador’s apprehension of ISU’s previous reputation was fading away.

“I want to go somewhere where we're going to be winning football games,” Labrador said.

Winning is the only thing Labrador has ever known. Since his high school coaches moved him from running back to corner as a sophomore, the Mustangs have won 24 games the past three seasons and reached the 5A state playoffs every year.

Labrador moved to free safety his senior season and was a member of the All-Idaho First Team. He was a key component of the Eagles offense as a two-way player, rushing for 602 yards and 14 touchdowns.

The Bengals, Labrador says, expect him to play on defense as either a safety or outside linebacker.

Labrador is one of 17 known players who has verbally committed to Idaho State. The Bengals are holding a 2 p.m. press conference Wednesday to announce the entire 2015 recruiting class.