Rick Patrick: Greene Publishing, Inc.
On Wednesday, Feb. 1, the first official NCAA National Signing Day, six Madison County High School (MCHS) Cowboys signed National Letters of Intent. Diante Hartsfield, Josh Bradley, Deonte Robinson, Juan Martinez, and Montaye Hill all signed letters of intent to attend New Rock Prep Sports Academy (NRPSA). NRPSA is a relatively new school in Atlanta, Ga. that is designed to allow student athletes the opportunity to further develop and showcase their skills both on the field and in the classroom before moving on to a larger school. The program at NRPSA allows student-athletes to take some college classes and earn credits without starting their NCAA athletic eligibility clock. The athletes at NRPSA compete against some of the nation's best prep, junior college, and JV programs. The 2017 season will be the first season in which NRPSA will play football.
Kelvin Kegler signed a National Letter of Intent to play football at the University of South Florida (USF) in Tampa. Kegler plans to study sports medicine. Kegler joins a USF Bulls team that is quickly emerging as a
team to be reckoned with in Division I football. In 2017, the Bulls will be under new Head Coach Charlie Strong. Strong was the defensive coordinator at the University of Florida before taking on the head coaching job at the University of Louisville. Strong was at Louisville for four seasons before going to the University of Texas as head coach for three seasons. Strong comes to USF with an overall record of 53-37. Last season the Bulls finished with an 11-2 record and ranked number 19 in the final Associated Press poll. That ranking was ahead of Miami, Auburn, and Tennessee.
Before the MCHS athletes signed their letters, MCHS Coach Coe took the opportunity to speak to the crowd of parents, athletes, and students gathered in the MCHS cafeteria for the event. “This is an example of what you can accomplish if you work hard on the field and in the classroom,” said Coe.