Signing Day reflections: 'This is crazy... I like it'

It was a big day for a number of area athletes on Wednesday, as National Signing Day gave many standouts a chance to pledge their athletic futures to one college program or another.

The Hall County FCA Signing Day ceremony honored a number of those athletes, each of whom talked with Access North Georgia sports editor Morgan Lee on one of the biggest days of their young lives.

The following is a brief incite into what was running through the minds of some of northeast Georgia’s most talented athletes on National Signing Day... (Note: Each athlete at the FCA ceremony is quoted in the order in which they were interviewed.)

Nick Drury, Lakeview Academy, Football, Davidson
“This just shows that if you put in the effort, even a small program that’s not that old, like Lakeview’s, you can reach your dreams.”


Taylor Simpson, Lakeview Academy, Baseball, Furman
“I feel like I’m carrying it on, because we’ve had a lot of players going to Division I schools from Lakeview. This is great.”


Nicholas Andrade, East Hall, Soccer, Pfeiffer University
“My new coach (Jason Smith) has helped me a lot; he’s seen me at a lot of showcases, and he sees the potential in me and will push me. I like that.”


Chaz Cheeks, East Hall, Football, Georgia Tech
“I really didn’t even start playing until the ninth grade, and I didn’t believe this would happen for me then. But coach (Bryan) Gray told me it would, so I was glad to stick by him.”


Ashely Lowery, White County, Football, Kentucky
“I loved what I saw up there; the coaches, the facilities, the town were all great. I’ve just yet to see one of the big horses up there.”


Sterling Bailey, East Hall, Football, Georgia
“The ‘Dream Team’ is turning out the way everybody wanted. When (Georgia’s coaches) first told me about it, I wasn’t really sure about the ‘Dream Team’ thing, but then when everybody started committing I was like, ‘ahhh.’ It’s really coming together now.”


Josh Foster, Johnson, Golf, Truett-McConnell
“It’s kind of a relief to get it over with. Now I can concentrate on trying to have a really good final season at Johnson.”


Luke Crumley, White County, Baseball, Georgia
“Hopefully I can come in there and contribute as a freshman. The coaches told me they’re going to use me as a reliever first, maybe a closer, and then by SEC season, I’ll have a chance to be a starter.”


Will Maddox, Gainesville, Baseball, Tennessee
“Now I can just focus on my main goal of trying to win a state championship this year; we have a lot of great players, and winning state is what I’ve wanted for the past three years.”


Hong Tran, Gainesville, Soccer, Valdosta State
“This is history in the making because it’s the first year Valdosta State has had a soccer team. You’ve got to start and then go big.”


A.J. Johnson, Gainesville, Football, Tennessee
“I’m going to have a big chip on my shoulder when I play Georgia. That was the school I wanted since I was a little kid, and they didn’t even offer me. I’m looking forward to playing them.”


Thomas Niles, Gainesville, Football, Central Florida
“Starting my junior year I was getting some letters and questionnaires, then in January I went to N.C. State on a visit, and the coach handed me a written scholarship offer. A couple of weeks later I began getting other offers, that’s when I knew it was going to happen for me.”


Kaitlyn Hooper, White County, Soccer, Asbury University
“I’ll definitely be going through a more rigorous schedule; but I’m going to keep trying to score goals.”


Rashad Lawrence, Gainesville, Football, Chattahoochee Tech
“This is a real big deal because I’ve got a lot of family members who have played in college. I’ve got a brother right now (Scotty Williams) playing at Southern Miss.”


Kendrick Milsap, Gainesville, Football, Tennessee
“This has been a great day; I’ll remember it for the rest of my life. This is neck-and-neck with some of the biggest games we’ve played in.”


Mike Norman, Gainesville, Football, Mars Hill
“This is great for our whole group of seniors because we’ve been talking about signing together since eighth grade and now it’s finally here. This is our day.”


Maurice Riden, Flowery Branch, Track and Cross Country, Mars Hill
“I’ve got to increase what I run by 10-15 miles a week in preparation for what I’m going to do there. It’s a blessing that running is going to run me into college.”


Erika Rucker, Flowery Branch, Track, South Carolina
“I’m really excited; I know I’ll miss home, but I’m ready to get started. I always knew I wanted to run in the SEC; that conference is notorious for producing great runners.”


Austin Brown, Flowery Branch, Football, UAB
“(Recruiting) gets frustrating at times when you’re not sure when and where it’s going to happen. But I’m glad to have a chance, and I’m glad to be here representing Flowery Branch.”


Chris Rhodes, Flowery Branch, Football, Valdosta State
“The coaches expect me to come down there and make a big impact right away. I’ve been prepared well for this. My line coach, coach (Tom) Hall, works day-in, day-out to get us prepared. It was a blessing to have him.”


Brandon Keller, Flowery Branch, Football, College of Mount Saint Joseph
“I’m not used to all this attention, being an offensive lineman. I like it. ... Cincinnati’s a great town, and that really helped sell me.”


Michael Smith, Flowery Branch, Soccer, Pfeiffer University
“The physicality and the speed of the game at the next level is going to be a big jump. It’s going to take some getting used to.”


Deron Lear, Flowery Branch, Football, College of Mount Saint Joseph
“I have family in Ohio that have never seen me play before. Grandma was a big influence on me.”


D.J. Miolen, North Hall, Football, Air Force Academy
“A lot of things attracted me -- the football team, the level of education and the fact that after graduation I’m guaranteed a job. ... Moving away from home is just part of growing up.”


Whit Bowen, North Hall, Baseball, Brevard College
“It’s so great to get this over with and take the burden off your chest before the season. It allows you to just focus on playing baseball.”


Hamilton Harper, North Hall, Baseball, Belmont University
“I’m a third baseman really, but the coaches have told me I’ve got a chance to come in and play as a freshman at first base. That’s exciting.”


Chandler Ligas, West Hall, Soccer, Pfeiffer University
“It’s a small community (at Pfeiffer) and about 70 percent of the student body are athletes, so everyone will be working in an athletic community. I’m looking forward to that.”


Shunquez Stephens, West Hall, Football, Alabama State
“This is kind of crazy. I like it, but the cameras here threw me off at first. It made me kind of nervous.”