Failed OS X install

I am working on an old MacMini that went into total fritz when it ran the last update. Consequently the system went limp and unresponsive to any command. Failure to boot as well. I did the old command + R to try to run utility. Long story short, and 3 weeks later. The computer was wiped clean and and started fresh over. I am trying to create a boot drive on a USB stick which i have successfully done so. The problem is, that when I reboot the mac, holding down option button, I do not get the option to boot from any specific drive. All it does is take me to the select a network option and tries to do the internet recovery. I have tried to do the internet recovery about 25 times but it constantly fails even when trying different routers, wifi signals, hardwire you name it.

Basically I want to know if there is another way to bring up the boot menu so that I can force the computer to boot from the USB drive.