Robi Rgyiel’s lifelong dream of playing football on the collegiate level came to life Wednesday afternoon as he autographed a National Letter of Intent to join the Faulkner University football team this fall.
“I’ve been wanting to play college football my whole life,” said Rygiel, who played inside linebacker for the Tallassee High Tigers last fall. “It’s a relief to know that I’m going to get that opportunity.”
Rygiel’s affirmation to the Eagles was made in front of his fellow seniors and athletes Wednesday afternoon (National Sighing Day) inside the auditorium at Tallassee High School.
“Number one, it’s exciting for his family. Anytime that you can get help paying for college and a kid gets to go is great,” said Mike Battles, Jr., coach of the Tigers. “Number 2, its great for our program. The more kids we have from our program playing at the next level is going to do nothing but help our program here. It shows those kids that if you get out there and work hard and do what’s right in the classroom and on the field you will have opportunities to succeed. Faulkner is a prestigious university. Not just because they are a Christian university, but they have high standards in academics and athletics. Those kind of individuals just make your program shine.”
Battles said Rygiel is that type of athlete.
This fall, Rygiel had 50 tackles (33 solo) from his inside linebacker position.
“Faulkner sent me a letter asking if I was interested,” said Rygiel, who signed with his parents Robert and Laurie and sister Andrea. “I went for a visit and liked the school. They came to watch me a couple of times.”
From there the rest is history.
“We’ve been fortunate to have kids advance to the next level: We’ve had Jesse Rowlen go in wrestling and Jed (Carter) go in baseball and we’ve got Dijon (Paschal) at Arkansas State and now we’ve got Robby at Faulkner,” said Battles. “That’s just in the past two years. It can’t help but promote all the good in athletics. Maybe some universities that haven’t recruited this area will start seeing there’s some players in this Elmore/Tallapoosa County area and that will give more kids the opportunity to move on.”
Rygiel’s Eagles status is shared by onfield rivals from Holtville and Elmore County.
“I’m excited about getting to be friends with those guys,” said Rygiel. “We were enemies on the field.”
Aside from the new color scheme of blue and white, Rygiel is also going to have to adjust to the speed of the game.
“Any obstacles he’ll work and overcome,” said Battles. “The biggest thing he’ll have to adjust to is the speed of the game and that’s at any level. Everything moves a little faster. He’s going to do whatever it takes to get better. If he’s got a weakness, he’s going to go and get it done.”
MASTER LIST 2014 OF COLLEGE FOOTBALL SIGNEES
(Compiled by the Alabama Sports Writers Association)
ABBEVILLE
Mason Burdeshaw, LB — Point University
ALBERTVILLE
Tyler Jones, OL — Memphis
ALMA BRYANT
Ron LaForce, DB – Birmingham-Southern
Josh Banks, WR – Mississippi Valley State
ASHVILLE
EJ Moss, LB — Jacksonville State
ATHENS
Johnnie Anderson, S – Tennessee Tech
AUBURN
Rashaan Evans, LB — Alabama
Darian Yancey, DE — Southern Miss (already enrolled)
Antreal Allen, CB — Georgia State
Jesus Alvarez, DL — Limestone College
Blaise Taylor, CB — Arkansas State
Selwyn Torbert, DB — Alabama State
Delwyn Torber, DB — Alabama State
Mike Turner, G — Shorter (Ga.)
AUSTIN
Kendall Harrison, LB – North Alabama
Fred Coleman, LB – Kentucky Wesleyan
AUTAUGA ACADEMY
Riley Tindol, DL – Vanderbilt
BEAUREGARD
Mike McDonald, DB — Point (Ga.) University
BARBOUR COUNTY
Emanuel Thompson Jr., WR – Troy
BENJAMIN RUSSELL
Bryant Horn, ATH — Jacksonville State
Austin Moncus, TE/LS – Faulkner
BERRY
Terrance Hollingsworth, RB – Arkansas State
BESSEMER CITY
Brandon Byner, ATH – Arkansas State
Jon Chris Wilkerson, DB – South Alabama
BESSEMER ACADEMY
Everette Curry, DL — Stillman
Justin Pratt, DL – Highland (Kan.) CC
BEULAH
Davis Lamb, OL — Point (Ga.) University
BIBB COUNTY
Montel Abercrombie, DL, Miles
Dikembe Aaron, DL, Miles
BLOUNT
Malik Campbell, QB – Miles
LaBarron Rodgers, LB – Miles
JaMarcus King, WR – Coffeyville (Kan.) CC
Branton Autry, DL/OL — Coffeyville (Kan.) CC
BOB JONES
David Norris, LB – UAB
Nick Holman, LB – South Florida
Julien Lewis, DL – Western Kentucky
Jay Rogers, RB – Alabama A&M
Roderick Randolph, WR – Alabama A&M
Dylan Haraway, DB – Georgetown (Ky.)
Brandon Davis, LB – Lindsey Wilson (Ky.)
BROOKWOOD
Nate Craft, WR – Jacksonville State
BUCKHORN
Khari Blasingame, DB – Vanderbilt
CALERA
Ronnie Clark, ATH — Alabama
Tyler Harrell, DB – Tennessee Tech
Jordan Bishop, WR – Dayton
CARVER-MONTGOMERY
Shaun Dion Hamilton, LB — Alabama
Jon Michael Edwards, DE — Southern Miss
Charles Standberry, WR — Louisville
Draequon Murphy, DB – Arkansas State
Aaron Bly, OL — Miles
Landy Capetillo, WR — Georgia Military College
Antonio Dunn, WR — Miles
Aldrequis Hall, WR — Hinds (Miss.) CC
Justin Martin, LB — Miles
Andrew Walker, DB — Holmes (Miss.) CC
CENTRAL-PHENIX CITY
Christian Campbell, DB — Penn State
Jordan Strong, DL — Alabama A&M
CENTRAL-TUSCALOOSA
Vincent Davis, QB — Jackson State
Michael King, OL — Concordia
Chris Lee, RB — Concordia
Ronderek Rice, LB — Miles
CHARLES HENDERSON
John Johnson, ATH – Troy
Taderion Myhand, DB – West Alabama
Sherrod Postelle, DL – Miles
CHELSEA
Troy Marshall, OL — Murray State
CLAY-CHALKVILLE
Jalen Harvey, RB — Syracuse
Hayden Moore, QB — Cincinnati
Sidney Battle, RB — Tuskegee University
Brian Clark, WR– Mississippi Gulf Coast CC
COLBERT COUNTY
Ryan Carpenter, RB – Clark-Atlanta
Tyler Lott, LB – North Alabama
DADEVILLE
C.J. Tolbert, QB — Harding (Ark.)
Tamarcus Russell, LB — Miles
Darrion Hutcherson, TE – Mississippi State (from Copiah-Lincoln (Miss.) CC)
DALEVILLE
Eriq Roberts, OL – Faulkner
DALLAS COUNTY
Justin Chandler, TE — Faulkner
DAPHNE
Tanner Lee, DB — Harvard
Will Copper, TE — Northwestern (La.) State
Myles Pierce, LB — The Citadel
Kameron Mitchell, RB – Warner (Fla.)
Zack Morgan QB — Birmingham-Southern
Whylen Tolbert, DB – St. Joseph (Ind.)
Daniel Meadows, OL – Huntingdon
Lorenzo Fields, LB — Mississippi Gulf Coast CC
Devonte Young, LB — Coffeyville (Kan.) CC
Kareem Brown, DB — Coffeyville (Kan.) CC
DAVIDSON
Tyler Jackson, OL – Delta (Miss.) State
Roderick Mingo, OL – Delta (Miss.) State
DECATUR
Xavier Lavender, DB – Morehead State
DEMOPOLIS
Tyler Merriweather, DE — Georgia Tech
Demetrius Kemp, DB — Wake Forest
Cortez Lewis, WR — Wake Forest
Hollis Bright, DL – West Alabama
Peyton Pearson, LB –Mississippi College
DESHLER
Jansen McKinney, DL — North Alabama
DOTHAN
Jack Stansell, TE — Harvard
Octavius Baxter, LB — Jacksonville State
Josh Bighems, DB — Prairie View A&M
Chris Cooper, OL – Iowa Central Junior College
Connor Eggleton, WR — Stillman
Latrelle Lee, DL — Tennessee State
Luis Pimentel, K – Stillman
Malik Reed, DL – Nevada
Prince Rogers, OL — West Alabama
Jeremie Saffold, LB — Stillman
Ladarius Wimbush, OLB — Tuskegee
Khiran Williams, QB — Mississippi College
EAST LIMESTONE
Jordan Gandy, WR – Murray State
ELMORE COUNTY
Austin Adams, ATH – Faulkner
ENTERPRISE
Austin Bell, OL — Jacksonville State
Caleb Butler, DE/LB — South Alabama
Daniel Butler, DL – Furman
Jackson Hanson, OL — Delta State
Aidan Sloan, OL — West Alabama
Shaq Solomon, DB — Alabama State
Cade Stinnett, K — Jacksonville State
Thomas Stinson, OL — Jacksonville State
EUFAULA
Marcellas Butler, QB – Stillman
FAIRFIELD
Carlos Paulding, LB — Cisco (Texas) CC
FAITH ACADEMY
Malik Rosier, QB – Miami (Fla.)
Willie Jackson, WR – Gardner-Webb
Hayden McMahan, OL – Southern Mississippi
FAYETTE COUNTY
Tevin Madison, WR – Texas Tech
FLORENCE
Cole Hardin, OL — Vanderbilt
Kendrick Doss, QB — Ole Miss
Walter Brady, DL — Missouri
Isaac Dillard, WR — Tennessee Tech
Daniel Keith, OL — Arkansas State
Quade Alexander, WR — Southern Miss
Jalen Ragland, WR — Faulkner State
DJ Armstead, DB — Arkansas State
Liles Hillhouse, WR — North Alabama
Will Lovelace, OL — North Alabama
Drake Taylor, OL – Cumberland (Tenn.)
FOLEY
DeMarcus Bingham, WR – West Alabama
Shawn Sanks, DL – Delta State
Titus Sibley, OL – Eastern Arizona CC
Austin Teal, DL – Eastern Arizona CC
GADSDEN CITY
Chris McElderry, DE, Tennessee Tech
GARDENDALE
Gabe Hill, TE — Troy
GLENCOE
Tyler Johnson, OL, Jacksonville State
GENEVA
Marcus Wilson,WR — Clark College
HALE COUNTY
Tyler Gilliam, OL – Jacksonville State
HALEYVILLE
Dakota Rushing, ATH — Tennessee Tech
HAYDEN
Tyler Swindle, OL – Jacksonville State
HEWITT-TRUSSVILLE
Austin Wysor, DL — Mercer
DE Joseph Roberts, DL — UAB
HILLCREST-EVERGREEN
Kyantrae Lewis, RB — Miles
HILLCREST-TUSCALOOSA
Keith Holcombe, LB – Alabama
Chance Redmont, OL – Nebraska-Kearney
HOLTVILLE
Devon Goodwin, OLB – Faulkner
HOMEWOOD
Dwayne Orso, DL Oklahoma
Jordan Sims, OL, Ole Miss
Shawn Eaton, TE — Delta (Miss.) State
HOOVER
Marlon Humphrey, DB — Alabama
Jaterrius Gulley, DL — BYU
Dylan Ackerson, DL — Sacred Heart University
Hagan Scott, WR – North Alabama
HOUSTON COUNTY
Ray’shon Kennedy, WR – Miles
HUFFMAN
Willie Green, DL — Prairie View A&M
Demetri Moore, OL — Mississippi Delta CC
JACKSON
Matthew Jordan, QB — Georgia Tech (already enrolled)
Gavin Bryant, LB – Tennessee
JACKSON-OLIN
Paul Campbell, QB — Dodge City (Kan.) CC
JACKSONVILLE
Dominique Thomas, RB — Central Arkansas
Miles Clark, TE — Florida Tech
JEFF DAVIS
Untuan Daniels, OL – Merced (Calif.) CC
Earl Chambers, DB – Merced (Calif.) CC
Ryan Milledge, DL – Gattaca (Fla.) CC
Orrin Ogletree, DL – Gattaca (Fla.) CC
Ricardo Stokes, LB — Gattaca (Fla.) CC
J.O. JOHNSON
Danny Johnson, QB – Alabama A&M
Devon Johnson, WR – Alabama A&M
Kailan Jackson, LB – Alabama A&M
KEITH
Maurice Crumpton, QB – Stillman
KINGWOOD CHRISTIAN
C’yontai Lewis, TE – Florida
Montez Haynes, WR — Campbell
LaFAYETTE
TQ Whitlow, RB — Tennessee State
LAUDERDALE COUNTY
Samuel Grisham, QB — North Alabama
LEE-MONTGOMERY
Jaderryc Brown, OL – Alabama State
Deontay Gilmore, LB – Lane (Tenn.)
LEE-SCOTT
Thomas DeGrange, S — Air Force
Jeremy Joseph, QB — Eastern Illinois
LEROY
Marvin Davidson, RB – West Alabama
LINDEN
Chris Rogers, LB – Miles
Kynard Craig, DB – Miles
LOACHAPOKA
Ryheem Sistrunk, RB — Concordia University
LUVERNE
Quindarius Thagard, DL – North Alabama
LYNN
Brody Meeks, QB — Faulkner
MADISON ACADEMY
Frank Williams, OL/DL – UNA
Garrett Lindsey, OL – Faulkner
MADISON COUNTY
Brandon Gurley, DB – Air Force
Jacob Salisbury, WR – Mississippi College
McADORY
Cory Thomas, DL — Mississippi State
Garian Bradley, RB — Murray State
Kyran Moore, DB– Austin Peay
McGILL-TOOLEN
Ito Smith, RB – Southern Miss
Tony Bridges, DB – Nicholls (La.) State
Herlandez Corley, DL – Northern Illinois
Breland Massey, DB – West Alabama
Greg Thomas, DB – West Alabama
Wil Young, WR – UT-Chattanooga
MINOR
Vernon Moland, LB – Alabama A&M
Dominique Goodwin, LB – Alabama A&M
MOBILE CHRISTIAN
Jordan Cagle, OL – Jacksonville State
MONROE ACADEMY
Jake McKenzie, QB – Kennesaw State
MONTGOMERY CATHOLIC
James Sherman, PK — Texas State
MOODY
Josh Morgan, OL – North Alabama
MORTIMER JORDAN
Devlin Hodges, QB – Samford
MUNFORD
Monteo Garrett, QB — Jones (Miss.) Community College
Tavon Lawson, DB — UT-Chattanooga
Earl Moss, DL — Miles College
MURPHY
Kameron Maye, WR – Georgia Southern
Gary Moore, DL – Minnesota
Taylor Stallworth, DL – South Carolina
MUSCLE SHOALS
Martavius Mims, DB — Western Kentucky
Deven Sullivan, RB — Tennessee Tech
Ethon Felton, LB — Murray State
Dylan Gibson, OL — Jacksonville State
Luke Smothers, WR — North Alabama
NEW BROCTON
Tristan Brust, LB – Faulkner
NORTHSIDE
Terrance Lucas, FB/LB — Faulkner
NORTHVIEW
Marice Fluellen, DB — South Alabama
Taquan Minnifield, WR — Benedict College
Victor Nieves, OL — Army
Michael Reynolds, DB – Army
A.J. Williams, DB – Tuskegee
OAK MOUNTAIN
Chris Johnson, DB — State University of New York at Albany
OPELIKA
Jakell Mitchell, TE — Auburn
Stephen Roberts, CB — Auburn
Malcolm Buggs, S — South Alabama
Chase Baker, DT — Limestone College
Marquie Fulton, WR — Georgia Military College
Reggie Hall, RB — Jacksonville State
Ashton Merritt, ATH — Point University
Aldreecous Wilson, S — West Georgia
Marquis Wright, LB — West Georgia
ONEONTA
Jalen Johnson, DB – Georgia Tech
Blake Bean, DL – North Alabama
OPP
Quantavise Stoudemire, LB — Jacksonville State
OXFORD
Roc Thomas, RB — Auburn
Tae Davis, DB – Tennessee-Chattanooga
Desmon Owens, ATH — Tuskegee
Kenyn Richey, DL – Tuskegee
PARKER
Omari Williams, DB — Samford
LaDarius Jackson, DL — Tennessee State
PAUL BRYANT
Patrick Porter, DB – Washington State
PELHAM
Braxton Hoyett, DL — Mississippi State
Devon Mines, ATH – Clark-Atlanta
PICKENS COUNTY
Devonte’ Simon, ATH – Alabama A&M
Jermarcus Brown, RB – Stillman
Zeb Finch, OL – Stillman
PINSON VALLEY
Calvin Burns, DL – Miles
PLEASANT GROVE
Pat Burroughs, DL — Alabama A&M
Charles Buchanon, RB — Alabama A&M
PRATTVILLE
Kamryn Pettway, RB — Auburn
Jarrod Jones, LB — Army
Chandler Houser, WR — Faulkner
Nate Jackson, DL — Hutchinson (Kan.) CC
R.A. HUBBARD
Eddquerrion Harris, DL — North Alabama
RANDOLPH
Alex Kofskey, DL – Air Force
David Hardner, TE – Olivet Nazarene (Ill.)
RED BAY
Austin Belue, DT — East Mississippi CC
REHOBETH
Ladarrius Fields, ATH – Faulkner University
Jessie Richards, OL – West Alabama
RESTORATION ACADEMY
Deion Calhoun, OL – Mississippi State
ROBERTSDALE
Emmanuel Fennell, DL – Jacksonville State
Kaleb Coleman, LB – Mississippi College
SAKS
Tre Smith, ATH — Central Arkansas
SARALAND
Lee Dufour, OL — UAB
SELMA
Davian Brantley, DB — Alabama State
SHADES VALLEY
Mike Carter, DB — Jacksonville State
SLOCOMB
Damont Gamble, OL – Alabama State
SPAIN PARK
Jervontius Stallings, OL – Kentucky
Dalton Brown, WR – Newberry (S.C.)
Phillip Brown, WR – Tuskegee University
Mickey Forrest, QB – West Georgia Tech
Devin Pughsley, DL – Kennesaw (Ga.) State
SPANISH FORT
Chason Milner, LB – South Alabama
Matt Hall, LB – Central Arkansas
John Wesley Williamson, DE – Nicholls (La.) State
Drew Kitchens, H-Back – Millsaps
Hunter Wood, H-Back/TE – Mississippi State (academic)
Ian Bjurro, OL – Nassau (N.Y.) CC
SMITHS STATION
Ladarion Heath, WR – Alabama A&M
SPARKMAN
Lorenzo James, RB — Huntingdon
STANHOPE ELMORE
Bryan Brower, LB – Alabama A&M
ST. CLAIR COUNTY
Justin Brown, RB – Alabama A&M
ST. PAUL’S
Tre Williams, LB – Auburn
Josh Casher, OL – Alabama
Zavier Carmichael, LB – Duke
Jalin Green, DB – North Alabama
Trayon Tate, WR – North Alabama
ST. JUDE
LaDarius Brinson, DB – West Alabama
SWEET WATER
Jakoby Aldridge, RB – Jacksonville State
Demarcus Gamble, RB — Tuskegee
TALLADEGA
Ahmad Gooden, DL – Samford
TALLASSEE
Robi Rygiel, LB — Faulkner
TANNER
Hayden Stephens, RB – Shorter (Ga.)
THEODORE
Jerry Gibson, TE – Minnesota
Coley McColeman, OL – Concordia
Josh Gano, LB – Birmingham-Southern
Tyree Sullivan, DL – Concordia
THOMASVILLE
Ty White, PK — Faulkner
Ralph Garner, LB — Troy
Antwan Johnson, OL – Samford
THOMPSON
Eric Reeves, WR – Faulkner
T.R. MILLER
Dominique Jackson, LB — Alabama State
Kameron Coleman, RB – Miles
TUSCALOOSA ACADEMY
Torrence Brown, DL – Penn State
Terrell Bush, OL – Furman (S.C.)
TUSCALOOSA COUNTY
Bo Scarbrough, RB — Alabama (played in fall at IMG (Fla.) Academy)
Allen Cooks, WR — Lindsey Wilson
Marshall Eads, OL — North Alabama
Juwan Hackett, DL — Delta (Miss.) State
UMS-WRIGHT
Gunner Roach, QB – Southern Miss
VALLEY
Logan Cotney, OL — Faulkner
VESTAVIA HILLS
Tristan Tahmaseb, DL — Harvard
Dalton Campbell, DL– Jacksonville State
Ryan Childers, OL — Jacksonville State
VIGOR
DeShaun Davis, LB – Auburn
Justin Thornton, DE – Auburn
Dacardo Rivers, DB – Alabama State
WALKER
Austin Mansell, LB – Jacksonville State
Brady Pugh, TE – West Alabama
Joe Bell, RB – Faulkner
WENONAH
LaQuarious Cook, LB — Tennessee State
Joel McCandless, LB – Hinds (Miss.) CC
Latarrius Powell, WR — Miles
Raymond Richardson, DL — Grambling (La.) State
Quincy Williams, LB — Murray State
WETUMPKA
Christian Williams, OL — Georgia Southern
WICKSBURG
Logan Weber, OL – Faulkner University