On February 5, 2014 at exactly 10:00 am, students, faculty, and parents alike gathered in the Athletic Training room at Gables to witness senior football players Gregory Howell, Daniel Hernandez, and Antiwone Johnson sign contracts to play football and study with full scholarships.

The ceremony began with a short introduction from Coach Pollard who described his immense feelings of joy and pride as three of his star players are awarded with outstanding opportunities. Each student sat aside Coach Pollard as he discussed the athlete and his journey. Afterwards, the students were able to give thank-you speeches and officially sign the contracts which would lead them to their own bright futures.

First to sign was Gregory Howell, mainly known as “Buddy”. Howell signed with Florida Atlantic University and received a full scholarship; he expects to play as a  running back and study in business, financing, and accounting. Howell, who was choosing between approximately eight schools decided on FAU because the school showed continued interest and made Howell “feel at home.” After an exhilarating football season, it’s hard to misunderstand why so many universities had taken interest.

“I’ve had an interest in football ever since I was a little boy, and playing football at Gables has made me become more of a vocal leader and motivator because I was doing what was right. This also made me a role model to my teammates. Signing to FAU means a lot to me, because this means I can continue to chase my dreams,” Howell said.

Senior Daniel Hernandez was next to receive his scholarship. Aspiring to study in business, Hernandez was able to sign with Glenville State College and pursue his interest in football while getting a quality education. With a full scholarship, Hernandez will move from sunny Florida to West Virginia and become a kicker on the college’s football team.

“When I got this offer, I was very excited. This isn’t an opportunity that everyone gets and I’m looking forward to move up to another revel of football after learning a lot from what the Coral Gables staff has taught me,” Hernandez said.

Last, but definitely not least, was Antiwone Johnson, a senior who also signed a contract with Glenville State College, his first-choice school. Johnson would like to double major in Sports Management and Mechanical Engineering while playing as a wide receiver on the football team. Johnson grew up around football always playing the game with his uncles, which makes it fairly clear that his love for football was what made him take Glenville under heavy consideration.

“I chose Glenville because I feel that’s where I belong; I feel comfortable, I feel relaxed, and I feel greatness inside me when I step on that campus. I’ve always loved this game called football; there’s something about it that makes me never give up, and it makes me feel complete to know that I’ll be continuing to play at Glenville,” Johnson said.

After each player had their turn signing contracts, a group picture was taken and the three seniors were able to take pictures with their family and friends to commemorate the special day. The ceremony was quick and simple, but the level of importance and prestige was not overlooked. It’s safe to say that Gables can expect to see great things from these three scholarship winners who will always support the Cavalier Nation.