"I believe you honor your commitments," Lambert said after a signing ceremony in the Timber Creek library. "I was honoring my new teammates. We're like a brotherhood."
Lambert, a two-time All-South Jersey selection by The Inquirer who led Timber Creek to a 12-0 record and the South Jersey Group 3 title, is one of the centerpieces of perhaps the best recruiting class in Rutgers history.
Lambert said he had established a good relationship with new head coach Kyle Flood, a former assistant coach, during the recruiting process, and also was comforted by the fact that Flood has retained defensive-line coach Phil Galiano and linebackers coach Robb Smith.
Galiano, brother of Camden Catholic football/baseball star Pete Galiano, was Rutgers' lead recruiter on Lambert.
"I talked to Coach Galiano through all this, and I knew he wouldn't lead me in the wrong direction," Lambert said.
Herbert Lambert, Quanzell's father, said there was a widespread misperception that his son was filled with doubts about Rutgers after Schiano's departure.
"It was kind of deceiving," Herbert Lambert said of the outside view that his son might reopen his recruitment.
Timber Creek coach Rob Hinson said other colleges tried to persuade Quanzell Lambert to consider other programs. Hinson said colleges in the "double digits" contacted him, including Penn State, Tennessee, Maryland, North Carolina, Iowa, Virginia, Illinois, and Purdue.
"I would ask [Lambert], 'Do you want to talk to any coaches or any reporters?' " Hinson said. "He was like, 'No, I'm just chilling.' So I kept everybody off him.' "
Hinson said Lambert's decision to stick with Rutgers was no surprise.
"It just reinforces what I've always said about him," Hinson said. "For his age, he's been through a lot, but he has a lot of integrity."
Contact staff writer Phil Anastasia at 856-779-3223, panastasia@phillynews.com, or @PhilAnastasia on Twitter. Read his blog, "Jersey Side Sports," at www.philly.com/jerseysidesports
