All across the country, high school students sign a Letter of Intent to commit to playing a sport at the college level. The event happens on the first Wednesday in February.
It is not mandatory to sign, but more than 48,000 student-athletes have promised to attend college and play a sport every year. The event allows high school athletes to play at the next level and often comes with scholarship money.
ANDREW SHEPPARD
"I worked nonstop going to clubs and tournaments in order to get better and get on the next level. To anyone who's looking to go to a college for their sport, I'd say work as hard as possible. Work hard in school and your sport as they both play big roles at the next level. Constantly work as hard as you can!" - Andrew Sheppard
JAYCE PRANTE
"Ever since the first time I toured CMU, it has landed a spot in my heart. Things only got better from there when I met the coaches and got to put on a jersey. I loved how honest and straightforward everyone was. The admissions staff is super nice and I will be receiving lots of aid for my accomplishments as a high schooler. I have heard nothing but good things about CMU from others and I am super excited to be in Grand Junction soon. When I found out that I was getting signed I felt a little bit of weight off my shoulders. This recruiting process is some hard and stressful work." - Jayce Prante
"I was able to kind of look back at how far I’ve come but also look in the future at what my next steps look like. I finally get to focus on one school and aim high. I love the sport of football and it is like a dream to be committing to a college football team. When I think about the hard work that went into getting signed, I think about the countless hours in the classroom, on the football field, or even on my phone/computer with my mom trying our best to find me a college home in football."
"Football in general is a super tough sport between the weight room, getting good grades, practicing long and hard, and showing out not for yourself but for your team. The process was difficult but all of my hard work is paying off. However, this is just the beginning of a new piece of my life. I look forward to getting to work right away as a Maverick. My advice for anyone following my footsteps would be not to take anything for granted. Practice and play with no regrets. Time flies and before you know it senior season is over and the work transfers from on the field to trying to put yourself out there to get recruited. I also advise to be prepared and challenge yourself. Your character is key when getting recruited be confident but respectful. Make relationships and most importantly have fun. You get out whatever you put in." - Jayce Prante
"I have played baseball since I was 3 years old always hoping to play at the next level, so once I started high school I started to train and focus more intensely on baseball itself. I also play competitive travel baseball with USA Prime in the summer to get more exposure and better competition. Most recently I have been working very hard in Physical Therapy after tearing my ACL, MCL, and Meniscus."
"I would say to all the athletes under me to just work really hard even on days where you just want to sleep because there’s always someone working harder than you. I would also advise kids to make sure they focus on their grades because no matter how good an athlete could be without the proper grades, colleges will not offer you a scholarship." - Beau Johnson
"This school feels a lot like home which makes me very comfortable with being there. Hesston is also a very competitive school and team that wants to win and see their players grow as players and men." - Beau Johnson
"It felt very surreal that all the dreams and aspirations of playing college sports as a kid are coming true. It’s also weird to think I’m leaving the state I’ve been in my whole life to extend my academic and athletic career."
Student-athletes who sign letters of intent in February are required to keep up their grades and activities through the end of their senior year.