Alabama Fan Obtains Auburn Recruit's Phone Number, Harasses Player over Flipping

And now, from the department of things no college football fan/anyone should do to a recruit/any teenage boy.

The photo below was shared by Darrell Williams, a 4-star outside linebacker from Hoover High School in Birmingham, Alabama. Williams is committed to Auburn, but one proactive Alabama fan found his phone number and asked some weird passive-aggressive questions about whether he might flip:

Source: Darrell Williams on Twitter

Note: Williams' original tweet has been edited to hide the phone number.

Technically, this fan didn't violate the No. 1 rule of recruiting: DON'T TWEET AT RECRUITS. He didn't tweet at Williams; he stalked Williams' phone number and texted him. He took the creepiest, most toxic thing about college football fans and made it creepier and more toxic.

In any case, this correspondence shows the ugliest side of the recruiting industry, and really of college sports in general: the part where fans rob teenagers of their privacy.

"How many times can we say 'don't be an idiot' to a group unwilling to listen?" asked Adam Kramer of Bleacher Report two years ago. "As many times as it takes."

Credit: 247Sports

On that note: Don't be an idiot.

I know national signing day is Wednesday. I know you really, really want that kid to play for your school. I know you think Coach X and Teammate Y and College Town Z give him the best chance to realize his dreams.

But your opinion on this issue doesn't matter. It literally couldn't matter less. Another class of high schoolers will pick the college they think best suits their needs. Even if they're wrong, that's their right. Let them make their choice, and then silently wish them the best.

And for God's sake, stay out of their phones.

Note: All recruiting info refers to the 247Sports composite rankings.

Follow Brian Leigh on Twitter: @BLeigh35