It’s the select few who get offers to continue playing that makes National Signing Day such a grand event.
The greater Killeen area was well represented on Wednesday, with more than a dozen football players from Killeen’s four high schools and Copperas Cove signing offers to play in college.
The NCAA Division I-A players signing were Cove star running back Troy Vital with Idaho and Killeen’s David Grant, who hopes to have a big impact on Nebraska’s offensive line.
“Finally it’s over,” a relieved Grant said after putting his signature on the final Nebraska paper. “I can stop answering where I’m going to school and explaining what happened to the other schools.”
That was a feeling held by most of the signees, as was a feeling of excitement and celebration.
Vital rushed for 2,068 yards and 25 touchdowns as Cove advanced to the 4A Division I final before it lost to Rosenberg Lamar Consolidated. He led a group of eight Bulldawgs signing at Cove’s new gymnasium. Quarterback Robert Griffin already is attending classes at Baylor.
Cove defensive lineman Steven Welch, son of Bulldawgs head coach Jack Welch, signed with Division II Tarleton State. Cove’s junior college signees were defensive lineman Anthony Gonzales and offensive linemen Sean Robertson with Blinn and linebacker Joseph Wright and tight end Donel Morrison with Trinity Valley.
Also, offensive linemen Jerry Hill and Thomas Durcan gave verbal commitments to Division III Texas Lutheran.
Vital had probably drawn the most speculation about his future. He initially committed to Houston, but when coach Art Briles left Houston to take over the Bears, Vital was left with several options. At that time, however, he wasn’t even thinking about college.
“I was focused on winning a state championship,” he said. “Then after (the title game) I started weighing my options.”
When Griffin changed his commitment from Houston to Baylor to follow Briles, many expected Vital to do the same - and one Web site even reported he had changed to Baylor. But Vital didn’t really consider it.
“It was never one of my top choices,” he admitted. “I considered it, but very little. I did consider (staying with Houston). Even these last few weeks I was still looking at Houston, but Idaho is my new home.”
The Vandals were 1-11 last season and finished last in the Western Athletic Conference. But that was part of the attraction to Vital.
“It is a chance to play early,” he said. “There’s a lot of potential there as they are an up-and-coming program. That’s why I made this decision.”
Teammate Welch made 59 tackles, including 35 solo, nine for loss and 4½ sacks. He’s eager about making the transition from Cove to Stephenville.
“I’m kind of looking forward to moving on,” he said. “But with that in mind, the players, the team . . . I will miss them all. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t have the best defensive line. So I just have to thank them because without them I wouldn’t be here.”
Welch had several offers and had even considered following his brother, former Cove quarterback Josh, to Mary Hardin-Baylor. Welch said that although staying close to home was somewhat important, UMHB was not for him.
“I love Josh to death,” he said. “But we’re not the same person. UMHB was looking at me but I just think I would fit better down in Tarleton and I think (Josh) would have made the same decision in my shoes, too.”
Killeen’s 6-6, 295-pound Grant recorded 45 pancake blocks and 35 knockdowns as the line anchor for the Kangaroos. He plans to have the same impact under new Nebraska coach Bo Pelini but knows he’ll wait a while.
“I’ll probably redshirt my first year,” he said. “I’ll get acclimated, learn the plays, lift weights, get strong. I might not start my redshirt freshman year, but I know I will get good amount of playing time.”
Grant said he also considered Iowa State, but when he took his visit to Nebraska in January the decision was made.
“I fell in love right away,” he said. “I can’t wait to start playing and going to school.
“I know a lot of players decommitted (after Nebraska fired Bill Callahan), but a lot loved what they saw and recommitted right away. I think we’ll have a good recruiting class.”
Also signing from Killeen were tight end Khiry Hicks with Trinity Valley and defensive lineman Demetrius Daniels with Division II West Texas A&M.
Elsewhere in the Killeen area, Ellison quarterback Ivan Delgado signed with I-AA Stephen F. Austin and Shoemaker had quarterback Andre Smith sign with I-A Arkansas State and defensive back Lyvell Marzett with West Texas A&M.
At Harker Heights, defensive tackle Terrance Harris signed with West Texas A&M, quarterback Ryan Balentine and Marcus Banks signed with Trinity Valley and linebacker Bobby Cook signed with Blinn.
mhood@temple-telegram.com
