NASHVILLE, Ga. (WALB) — Two Berrien High School football players signed commitment letters Wednesday morning to continue their football careers at Thomas University.
Seniors Tre Queen and Jacob Connell signed to play for the Nighthawks after battling adversity and injuries during their high school careers in Nashville.
Queen said the opportunity to play college football is significant.
“It’s really just a great opportunity. I’m really happy because, I mean, I got hurt beginning of the season this year,” Queen said. “And so I just had to battle back from injuries and come back. And then, I mean, to even get an offer, just any offer, you know, it’s just a great opportunity. Not many people get to do that.”
Queen said the hard work has paid off.
“Like, it’s kind of like I noticed all the hard work, you know, it’s done paid off now,” he said. “Like, everything I done put in, I’m getting back out now.”
Proximity to home a factor
The proximity to home played a role in Queen’s decision.
“Well, I mean, it’s right down the road, you know, not far from home,” Queen said. “I like the coaching staff, the head coach, Coach Dan Pippin. Great guy. I really like, you know, what he got going on.”
Queen said Thomas head coach Dan Pippin told him he would have an opportunity to play immediately.
Queen said having family nearby is important.
“I think that’s really important because I think a support system makes a difference, you know what I’m saying?” he said. “If you got supporters, that’s going to make you want to go harder.”
Queen said going to Thomas with Connell was also a factor.
“That’s very important. So now I don’t have to like… I know I’m going to go down there and make some new friends, but I know I got somebody down there that I already know, already played with,” he said.
Connell said the opportunity is exciting.
“It’s exciting. I get to go with my buddy, like I said, to a college close to home and be able to experience college lifestyle and the college football mentality with somebody I’ve been through in high school,” Connell said.
Building a program
Both players said they are ready to help build Thomas University’s football program.
“We’ve built this program to where it’s at now. I feel like we’ve struggled in the past. I feel like if we step in somewhere new, we have the ability to take it somewhere else, just like we did this program,” Connell said.
Connell said the coaching staff at Berrien helped prepare him.
“This coaching staff has built me tremendously. I say I got these offers off of one year of football because I’ve been injured,” he said. “Coach Dean, Coach Kane, Coach Chop, all the coaches, the athletic staff that helped us, they just built me tremendously from the morning workouts to the afternoon workouts.”
Connell said he plans to give everything at Thomas.
“I’m coming for blood. I want everything that I can give. I’m going to give it all, and I’m not going to stop until I get what I want,” he said.
Berrien head coach Jackson Dean said the signings show hard work pays off.
“Those are two kids that they really put in the work for four years. I mean, had a bunch of bumps and bruises along the way in terms of different coaching staffs and different styles,” Dean said. “But it just shows that if you’re committed to something and truly want it, that it can come true.”
Dean said he hopes younger players will see the example set by Queen and Connell.
“We really hope that our younger kids can really buy into that and just understand if they commit to something for four years, that great things can happen for them,” he said.
Both players went through three different head coaches during their four years at Berrien.
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