CHEYENNE, Wyo. – Isaac Clay, from East High School, has signed to continue his football career at Chadron State. Clay, an offensive and defensive lineman for the Thunderbirds, will play on the offensive side of the ball for the Eagles in Nebraska.
Clay has played on East’s varsity squad since his sophomore season, qualifying for the playoffs in all three years and seeing the 4A State Championship game in two of them. In his final year for the Thunderbirds, he would be honored with first-team All-Conference and All-State.
“It means a lot, it’s like a reward for how much hard work I’ve put into this sport and what I do in the off-season and playing all the other sports,” Clay said. “I’m just glad that it’s finally paid off.”
The senior lineman also competed in wrestling, as a thrower in track and field and on a club lacrosse team.
Through his recruitment process, he learned about the value of being a multi-sport athlete, hearing that many collegiate coaches immediately considered whether a player played other sports.
“It’s one thing to learn how to be a football player and just practice being a football player,” Clay said, “but then when you’re a football player, you’re a track star, you’re a wrestler, you move differently, your body works differently, and that’s adaptable, you’re coachable in different ways.”
After the completion of the 2025 season, Clay was honored by his teammates in a different exercise. Prompted by East coach Chad Goff, the team voted on the top-five best football players on the team, as well as the top-five best human beings. Clay would be put on both lists by the Thunderbird team.
He will also join former high school teammate Garet Schlabs. After watching Schlabs and others sign for colleges, adding to the East football legacy, he always admired them.Â
“It feels like an honor, kind of like a role model type thing,” Clay said. “I wanted to strive to be that guy. There were people in my life where I was like, ‘I want to strive to be that person,’ and now I’m that person.”
Clay joins the Eagles’ squad in Nebraska as the team is coming off an NCAA Division II playoff appearance.