ALBANY, Ga. (WALB) - It’s Wednesday, February 3rd and that means only one thing.
It’s National Signing Day.
Dozens and dozens of Southwest Georgia high school football players put pen to paper Wednesday, all eager to continue their football careers.
Lanier County
Andreas Anderson - University of Cumberlands
Rashod Brockington - University of Cumberlands
Kalvin Gaines - University of Cumberlands
On continuing their football careers on the collegiate stage:
Gaines said, “It’s crazy, crazy feeling. You know, but I love it, I’m ready to get to the campus and enjoy the next four years.”
Anderson continued, “We’ve been doing that ever since we were kids and we’ve just been footballing it all the way up until now. So, it’s just great that we’ll be able to do it on the next level.”
Brockington added, “It hit me hard. I’m furthering my education and playing football at the next level, that’s what I’ve been thinking about my whole life.”>
Fitzgerald
Todkevious Wallace - University of Kentucky
Jay Price - University of Cumberlands
De Harper - University of Cumberlands
Chance Gamble - Kennesaw State University
Brooks County High School:
J’Shawn Baker and Ethan Bell are headed for the Good Life City.
The two team up to play for the Albany State Golden Rams.
Baker said about getting to play with Bell for a few more years, ”Oh, I feel great about it. Me and him have a lot of chemistry together, like we grew up from preschool together up to now so I think our bond will actually help us.”
Bell added, “It feels good, especially, because we had this plan if went somewhere we would have went together. It felt like a family and a great environment to go to. I mean it’s always been a dream of mine. So, it feels good to live out my aspirations.”
Lee County High School:
Zach Cleveland - Delta State
Baron Hopson - Jackson State
Anthony McGrady - Albany State
AJ Patrick - Georgia Military College
Eric Sanders - Georgia Military College
Jerrod Woods - Kennesaw State
Cedric Wynn - Valdosta State
Trojans Head Football Coach Dean Fabrizio said, ”Well you’re always so proud on this day when this happens and when you have a big class and here we’re fortunate to have several of them. It seems like every time you turn on the TV you see and Lee County kid playing in there. We’ve got kids playing all over the state, all over the country. So, it’s really neat getting to see those kids going to play at the next level, and it’s a huge motivating factor for the kids we have in our program now.”
Colquitt County High School:
Zy’Kerious Brockington - University of Memphis
Omar Daniels - Kansas State University
Jamaree Hill - University of the Cumberlands
Trey McCoy - Shorter University
Emmanuel Perez Martinez - Fort Valley State University
TJ Spradley - Valdosta State University
Traveon Tuff - University of the Cumberlands
Jahiem Ward - Austin Peay State University
Packers Head Football Coach Justin Rogers said, “The Biggest thing I can say about this class is that they’re going to be missed, they were good ballplayers and they are good people so we are going to miss these boys quite a bit both on the field obviously with how good they are but also in the locker room and the weight room and in our school because they were leaders and they are good, good guys. Just what a momentous day in the journey of their life to start their next chapter.”
Pelham High School:
Cameron Bailey - Albany State University
On joining the Rams program Bailey said, ”It’s a good day, I’ve been waiting on it for a while and I finally get a, I don’t get a new family but you know I just expand the family, make the family bigger, I’m go to work, go work and make an impact on people’s life there too. It’s a good place, an atmosphere that’s good and it’s a family too.”
Cairo High School:
Brandon Mcclendon - Georgia Military College
Ricky Walker - Georgia Military College
Tequan Latimore - Georgia Military College
Tyquan Glenn - Albany State University
Syrupmakers Head Football Coach Steve Devoursney said, ”We struggled early on in the year but they fought back and you know just kind of tells you the type of kids that they are, they didn’t give up, they kept fighting no matter what people in the community were saying so to be able to fight back and you know finish strong says a lot about these kids and you know why they are going off to play at colleges now. To have these guys sign was big for our program, for our school and our community.”
Southwest Georgia Academy:
Cade Nixon - Troy University, preferred walk-on.
The offensive lineman said, ”It feels great, you know. I’ve been wanting this dream for a while and it finally came true. My daddy and I have worked on that for a while and he passed away five years ago and it just feels great to make him proud, I know I did and it just feels great. I’m trying to go win the Sun Belt Conference and get a lot of playing time, I know it’ll be slow starting, but I feel like it’ll be good.”
Valdosta
Jaylin Alderman- University of Louisville
Javontae Sherman- Middle Tennessee State University
Aalah Brown- Jackson State University
Joshua Hill- Albany State University
Christopher McClain- Shorter University
Maxwell Cherelus- Reinherdt University
Quavion Williams-Erskine College
JaQuez White-Florida Memorial University
Head Coach Rush Propst said, ”New way to lift weights, new offense, new defense, new special teams, a new way of doing things and to reach the semifinals and end up on this day for these guys it’s been a very adverse, tough situation for these players to get where they are to day but I’m awfully proud of them.”
Valwood
Pate Hogan - University of West Georgia
Mac McRae - University of West Georgia, Baseball
Harrison Hamsley - Georgia Southern University
Kennedy Kimbro - Columbia College, Volleyball
Hamsley said, “The recruiting process was strange to say the least. I had a lot of opportunities for schools and I chose Georgia Southern because I’ve always wanted to play there since I was a little kid.”
Hogan said he plans on seeing the field early at West Georgia, “He really expects me to come in there and compete as soon as I get there and that’s what I’m expecting myself to do as well. I’m ready to go out there and play and compete and if that means getting the starting job as soon as I get there, that’s great. If not then I’ll play my role on the team and do what I can.”
Thomas County Central
Jordan Jones- Valdosta State University
Tykeem Wallace - Kennesaw State University
Jones on the excitement to play at a national championship-caliber team, “It means a lot. I love winning. I love to win. I was their top player and they wanted me so I decided to go where I felt wanted. They came along late, so I chose Valdosta State.”
Wallace on sharing this moment with his brother who’s in the Army, “He couldn’t make it, and it was special to him to be a part of this moment because he’s been through the whole process. He’s really proud. He can’t wait to put that black and gold on!”
Miller County
Nick Kyles - The Atlanta Institute of Business Lancers
Jaydon Cooper - LaGrange Panthers
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