At Wheeler County High School a football player signed his letter of intent last Friday to play and attend St. Andrews University Laurinburg, NC. Jody Graham will be heading up to play offensive line for the Knights. Graham graduated from Wheeler County with a 3.8 GPA.

Graham said, "I want to thank all the coaches who have been such a big part of this including Coach Smith, and both Randy and Drew Collins. Also, I thank my parents getting me into football and for pushing me to get better, and I want to thank God for this opportunity. I really liked St. Andrews it is a small town, big family atmosphere. I also want to thank all the teachers that helped me make it to this point. This is going to be a big step living so far away but I have faith everything will go well."

Head Coach Thomas Smith stated, "Jody has worked extremely hard and has been one of the strongest kids in the weight room I've ever had. He just attacks everything he does. I can't wait to see how he does when he gets the chance to play on just one side of the ball. He has a very bright future ahead of him and I'm so happy he gets to continue his education and his playing career.”

Coach Drew Collins added, "It has been really fun to watch him grow and develop. To watch them grow from a freshman all the way up to becoming a young man at this point has been fun. That's one of the things about coaching, it's not just on the field, it's watching them become young adults. Jody also is just a good kid he spent many summers as a camp counselor, and he does a lot with the community. He is a very well-rounded guy and one of those you just want to play for you."

(L to R, Front): Lowell Graham (grandfather), Ann Graham (grandmother), Jeff Graham (father), Jody Graham, Wendy Graham (mother); (Back): Coach Sheldon Miller, Head Coach Thomas Smith, Gabriel Graham (brother), Rayn Graham (sister), Coach Drew Collins, and Coach Randy Collins. (Courtesy of Mike Branch)