1. Why did you decide to sign with McNeese State University?

Close to my hometown so my parents can come to my games. High rate of athletes get their degrees. Small hometown feel. I am in my own apartment with a player I played club volleyball with and loving college atmosphere.

2. Describe the excitement you feel about becoming a college student-athlete?

I love my team and coach! All the coaches know what they are doing and they are working us hard and challenging each and every one of us. I did not want to go to school and it be easy. I want to be challenged! I am a little overwhelmed worrying about how to balance classes and volleyball but McNeese provides a lot of support so I will do fine.

3. What advice would you give to other athletes looking to get recruited?

As far as volleyball you need to play for a club that does a great job of working with college recruiters. Make good grades in high school and from the beginning of your junior year start taking your SAT and ACT tests to get your scores as high as possible. Make a recruiting page and send out your club schedule to colleges to let them know when you play and make sure they have your jersey number. I was committed by my junior year but never took my recruiting page down and all during my senior year I was approached by colleges. It takes a lot of pressure off your senior year if you have made a decision your junior year.

4. Who has been the biggest influence in your sports career and why?

My parents because they have stood by me every step of the way. As a family we prayed before I committed and once I made my decision I did not have a doubt in the world. My parents have made great sacrifices to make sure I had the best training, allowed to play at a high profile club and supported me by coming to my games. They continue to support me by helping me adjust to college life away from home. I feel very blessed and do not want to let them down. So when practices are hard I just work harder and remember I have a lot of people pulling for me and supporting me every step of the way.

5. What would you like to accomplish during college sports career?

I want to start all four years in college. I want to make all-conference. I want to be a leader and team captain for my team. I want to be known as a team player and hard worker. Someone incoming freshman will look up to me when I am no longer a freshman.

Over the last five years SportsForce Recruiting has helped over 1,000 student-athletes and families successfully navigate the college recruiting and athletic scholarship process while saving families on average $50,000 in college expenses.

Learn How We Help Families

1. Why did you decide to sign with Citrus College?

Because the coaching staff is excellent and the program has a bright future ahead of it.

2. Describe the excitement you feel about becoming a college student-athlete?

Becoming a student athlete was both exciting and nerve wrecking, just because of the fact that I knew I would have to be 110% committed to this program and the school. But for the most part I was excited; being on a new team with a whole bunch of different people was exciting. I was ready to get to the next level.

3. What advice would you give to other athletes looking to get recruited?

I would tell other athletes to be focused on their studies and athletic career. Make the right choices in school. Don’t follow the crowd; be yourself, it’ll lead you to being successful. Make everything count, both in school and in your sport. You never know when someone important is watching you.

4. Who has been the biggest influence in your sports career and why?

My biggest influence has been my father and my high school coaching staff. My dad has been very supportive; he was there for me when I needed it. As for my coaching staff, they told me it was possible when I thought it wasn’t. They helped me through every obstacle and prepared me to get to the next level. I can not thank them enough for believing in me.

5. What would you like to accomplish during college sports career?

I would like to be the best I can be, win a conference championship, and make it far in state. I want to hopefully get noticed by a school and get a scholarship.

Over the last five years SportsForce Recruiting has helped over 1,000 student-athletes and families successfully navigate the college recruiting and athletic scholarship process while saving families on average $50,000 in college expenses.

Learn How We Help Families

1. Why did you decide to sign with Kentucky Christian University?

I went to the campus and it was not that big but I loved it. It’s a small school, but I like it because of the class sizes, where you can have one-on-one with the teachers. The football program just started under a new young coach. It’s a young team but I like it because of the recruiting class the coach is bringing in.

2. Describe the excitement you feel about becoming a college student-athlete?

I am so excited; I can’t wait until the first day I step foot on campus as a college student-athlete. I know it is going to be harder than being a high school student-athlete, but I am up for the challenge.

3. What advice would you give to other athletes looking to get recruited?

Just keep working hard. Don’t ever take a day off, because if you do, just know that there is another kid working to be better than you. That’s one thing I wish I could go back and do.

4. Who has been the biggest influence in your sports career and why?

Two good friends of mine, because when I first moved to the US from Ghana I had no idea what football was, but they helped me get better every day, and to this day they are still on me, trying to make me better.

5. What would you like to accomplish during college sports career?

I would love to be able to hang a national championship banner in my school and also become an All-American.

Over the last five years SportsForce Recruiting has helped over 1,000 student-athletes and families successfully navigate the college recruiting and athletic scholarship process while saving families on average $50,000 in college expenses.

Learn How We Help Families

1. Why did you decide to sign with Tennessee Wesleyan College?

I decided to choose Tennessee Wesleyan College because they are my hometown college. I grew up 5 minutes from the college. They also have an amazing winning tradition. Winning their first NAIA world series this year.

2. Describe the excitement you feel about becoming a college student-athlete?

Being a college student-athlete has been a dream of mine. I’ve worked hard in and out in the classroom to get here.

3. What advice would you give to other athletes looking to get recruited?

I would say work as hard as you can every day and never give up on your dream. Never let someone tell you that you can’t.

4. Who has been the biggest influence in your sports career and why?

Oh, most defiantly my dad. He coached me and taught me everything he knew and has taken me to more games than I can count. He has pushed me and I thank him daily. I wouldn’t be the man I am today without him.

5. What would you like to accomplish during college sports career?

I would like to have a healthy 4 years and hopefully fulfill my childhood dream of playing pro ball.

Over the last five years, SportsForce Recruiting has helped over 1,000 student-athletes and families successfully navigate the college recruiting and athletic scholarship process while saving families on average $50,000 in college expenses.

Learn How We Help Families

1. Why did you decide to sign with the University of Massachusetts Boston?

I decided to play at Umass Boston because I wanted to be a four-year starter. Also, I really liked the academic environment of the school and the area of Boston can’t be beaten when it comes to college towns. The money the school is putting into the athletic program was a huge point in the decision-making process.

2. Describe the excitement you feel about becoming a college student-athlete?

I can’t be more excited about playing baseball in college. After excelling in high school, I want to be able to use my talents to play against the best competition in the country.

3. What advice would you give to other athletes looking to get recruited?

The advice I would give a high school athlete who wants to play at the next level is to make sure they gain as much exposure as possible, whether it be through videos sent to coaches or attending showcases, make sure to take advantage of every opportunity you get to show your stuff to college coaches.

4. Who has been the biggest influence in your sports career and why?

The biggest influence in my sports career has been my two coaches who helped me become the player I am today; my high school coach who turned me into a pitcher, and then my pitching coach who perfected my tools as a pitcher.

5. What would you like to accomplish during college sports career?

I want to be able to set school records in pitching categories. I know it might not sound like a realistic goal, but I believe the higher I set my goals, the more room I have to achieve great things. My other goal is to play at the next level after college because it is a game I love and I don’t want to ever have to put my glove down.

Over the last five years, SportsForce Recruiting has helped over 1,000 student-athletes and families successfully navigate the college recruiting and athletic scholarship process while saving families on average $50,000 in college expenses.

Learn How We Help Families

1. Why did you decide to sign with Cornell College?

I really like everything they offered me. They are very high on academics, which really interest me, and also the football team has a fresh new coach staff, so change is coming. They treated me like I was family on my visit and welcomed me with open arms.

2. Describe the excitement you feel about becoming a college student-athlete?

I’m very excited there aren’t words to even explain how excited I am for this opportunity. I dream about being in Iowa every night. I’m just training and counting my days down.

3. What advice would you give to other athletes looking to get recruited?

The advice I would give is to be at the top of everything. If someone runs extra sprints or does extra work you do double what they do and lead your team. Also, never get discouraged when things don’t go your way, because at one point in time I lost an offer because of coaching changes and I hung up my cleats. But nothing is ever given to you, you have to go out and take it.

4. Who has been the biggest influence in your sports career and why?

My biggest influence has been my uncle Rick and mother. My uncle Derek “Ricky” Newman attended Illinois State, and then played Arena football for the Cleveland Thunderbolts. He was shot 3 times in his car and killed. I want to finish what he started and play pro football one day. If I have to start from the bottom, I will and work my way up the chain to the top. My mother has done so much for me and has attended every single one of my sporting events since I started playing flag football. She has always wanted the best for me and I just want to give back to her all the love she has showed me. She is like my heart that keeps pumping and keeps me going when I’m down.

5. What would you like to accomplish during college sports career?

I would like to be one of those players that everyone talks about how hard he worked and how he led the team. I want people to say, “Yeah Dentist Hall, he was one of the greats I played with.” Also, I want to break a couple records and leave my name on the school.

Over the last five years SportsForce Recruiting has helped over 1,000 student-athletes and families successfully navigate the college recruiting and athletic scholarship process while saving families on average $50,000 in college expenses.

Learn How We Help Families

1. Why did you decide to sign with College of Mt. Saint Joseph?
I liked the coaching staff, they were real welcoming and they had a lot of confidence is their program. Also, for the school of course; they have a great educational program overall. I liked the location and it seemed like a lot fun down here.

2. Describe the excitement you feel about becoming a college student-athlete?

I’m very excited. I can’t wait to see exactly how everything is going to play out. I can’t wait to get there and compete for a position. I can’t wait to get there; I’m ready for everything

3. What advice would you give to other athletes looking to get recruited?

My first word of advice is, never get sold on any college until they offer you a serious offer. Keep an open mind about everything and don’t put all your eggs in one basket.

4. What would you like to accomplish during college sports career?

My first goal is to graduate, get that foundation. My secondary goal, I do wanna play at the next level, I know it will be a whole lot of work, but football is my life.

Over the last five years SportsForce Recruiting has helped over 1,000 student-athletes and families successfully navigate the college recruiting and athletic scholarship process while saving families on average $50,000 in college expenses.

Learn How We Help Families

1. Why did you decide to sign with Huntingdon College?

I decided to sign with Huntingdon because it’s a place I fit in perfectly, and it’s not very far from home. It’s a great school.

2. Describe the excitement you feel about becoming a college student-athlete?

I’m very excited to become a student-athlete at the college level. It’s been a dream of mine since I was a kid. It’s a sweet feeling.

3. What advice would you give to other athletes looking to get recruited?

To other athletes looking to get recruited, I advise them to work hard, maintain good grades, and be disciplined on and off the field.

4. Who has been the biggest influence in your sports career and why?

The biggest influence in my sports career has been my dad. He always pushes me to another level and encourages me to work hard. He also trains me.

5. What would you like to accomplish during college sports career?

During my college sports career I would like to accomplish a lot. I would like to help Huntingdon College win their first NCAA DIII title and many more. I’m just excited I get to live out my dreams and I would also like to join Cody Pearcy in the NFL.

Over the last five years SportsForce Recruiting has helped over 1,000 student-athletes and families successfully navigate the college recruiting and athletic scholarship process while saving families on average $50,000 in college expenses.

Learn How We Help Families

I chose UC Davis because it felt like it was a perfect fit for me. I felt at home there, where as I hadn’t felt that anywhere else. I also loved the campus and all of the people that I got to meet there, especially my future teammates. Finally, the last reason I chose UC Davis was because it excels in the field I want to major in and the professors are some of the most knowledgeable minds in the teaching world.

2. Share your recruiting story and status

My recruiting process started in the fall of my freshman year. I was going to be participating in a huge National tournament and some of the older girls on my team had suggested that I should put together a resume that contained a photo, my name, academic accomplishments and of course athletic accomplishments. They also recommended that I email this resume to the coaches from any school I was thinking about looking into. Although the NCAA rules said they could not reply to me, this allowed me to enter the recruiting radar of some of the coaches. I followed the same process for a few more tournaments I attended that year and hoped that my constant introductions and level of play would interest some coaches. During my Sophomore year, I had my video done by the wonderful SportsForce team! They did everything I could have asked for and more! They even went back and added 10 clips of footage that I had obtained from a tournament in February of my sophomore year. I also followed the same process with tournaments, but the coaches were still not allowed to contact me due to the NCAA rules. That summer between my Sophomore and Junior year, I attended many field hockey camps on both the west and east coast. I also toured about 15 colleges on the east coast. While I was there I wanted to see if I would feel at home on the campus and to view the facilities that I could have possibly played on. I would recommend touring any colleges that a student-athlete is seriously thinking about during that summer because your Junior year is a big year for the recruitment process. It is best to know what you like and what you do not like in a school as you will be spending four years of your life there! Finally in my Junior year, I was invited on a few unofficial visits to campuses and I instantly fell in love with UC Davis. The team, coaching staff, facilities, professors, and the campus itself instantly made it feel like a home away from home. I also attended a few more tournaments that year and sent out both my resume and video. Now that it was my Junior year, I could have limited interaction with coaches via email and I was able to narrow down which ones were interested in me and which were not. In December, I was given a verbal commitment offer from the UC Davis coach and they asked me to think about it. I seriously thought about it and when I was invited to their Junior Day in April, I accepted the verbal offer and could not have been happier with my decision!

3. When did you start your recruiting process?

I started my recruiting process in the fall of my freshman year.

4. What advice would you give to other players and parents with the recruiting process (ex. start early, get a highlight video)?

Advice that I would give to players and parents is to definitely start early with the recruiting process. Your freshman year is an excellent time to organize a list of colleges that the player is interested in and focus on both the athletic and academic programs. My parents made sure that I am going to the school I want to go to and not just for the athletic aspect of it. It is important to find a place where the student-athlete will be happy and successful as they will be spending four years of their life there! Another tip is to make sure you get a video done in your sophomore or beginning of your junior year, as this is the prime time to start sending the video as well as the resume off to college coaches. Lastly, make sure that both the student-athlete and their parents go and tour the colleges in question before any commitments are made so you can get a good a sense of where the student-athlete may eventually end up and where the parents would be coming to visit.

5. What excites you the most about starting college?

The thing that excites me most about starting college is being able to meet people from not only all over the country, but also all over the world. I love interacting with people so I am definitely excited about meeting new people with different upbringings and stories and hopefully making life long friendships with them. This will especially apply to my future team, as I am positive that connections will be made during the years that will continue long past the end of college!

Over the last five years SportsForce Recruiting has helped over 1,000 student-athletes and families successfully navigate the college recruiting and athletic scholarship process while saving families on average $50,000 in college expenses.

Learn How We Help Families

1. Why did you decide to sign with the Stephen F. Austin State University?

I decided to sign with SFA because it gave me the great opportunity of playing Division 1 ball, as well as being a very reputable school in the teaching field. This gives me the chance to play with, and learn from, some great upperclassmen, and an amazing coaching staff.

2. Describe the excitement you feel about becoming a college student-athlete?

I’m very excited and blessed to have this opportunity! It’s great to finally see all my hard work pay off! It’s very humbling and exciting to be playing at the highest level of college baseball.

3. What advice would you give to other athletes looking to get recruited?

I would advise you to continue to work hard. God has a plan so try not to get frustrated! I know it was hard for me not to question why, but try hard to stay focused and understand there’s a place for you. It’s about being at the right place at the right time!

4. Who has been the biggest influence in your sports career and why?

My biggest influence is my family. They’ve sacrificed so much to help support my baseball goals. I’m very appreciative of them for sticking with me and believing in me. They gave me the best they good in terms of equipment and certain select teams so I get the best opportunity possible to get noticed.

5. What would you like to accomplish during college sports career?

I would like to better myself physically and mentally and become the best ball player I can. The stats and winning will take care of themselves if I prepare the right way. But I hope to continue playing as long as I can and when I’m done, I plan to coach high school baseball!

Over the last five years, SportsForce Recruiting has helped over 1,000 student-athletes and families successfully navigate the college recruiting and athletic scholarship process while saving families on average $50,000 in college expenses.

Learn How We Help Families