Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
Football player Jerome Earle intends to play tight end for the Greyhounds.
Logan Longhorns senior Jerome Earle signs his letter of intent to attend Eastern New Mexico University to play football next fall.
If you want to play at the next level, you must have passion, dedication and the will to follow through with the workouts and conditioning on- and off-season, according to Jerome Earle, a Logan high school senior who plays football.
Earle shared that piece of advice with classmates and underclassmen Wednesday before signing a letter of intent to play as a tight end for the Eastern New Mexico University's Greyhound football team in Portales.
"We took a chance on a Logan kid, Wyatt Strand, a few years ago," said ENMU football coach Kelley Lee. "If Jerome's half the player, we made a really good pick up."
Earle, who will graduate this year, said his journey to signing to play with a college football team began when he was in seventh grade.
"There was this short kid, who couldn't move his feet and didn't have the best hands, but he was the first to step up when needed," said Kene Terry, Logan football head coach.
He said when he began coaching Earle in the seventh grade, Earle told him, "I'm going to play college ball, Coach." He said he admired his outlook and told him "well, you better get to the weight room," And Earle did.
Terry said whenever the team needed someone to fill a position, Earle was the first to volunteer. He said one time the team needed a quarterback, and Earle learned the plays overnight.
What makes Earle a college player?" Terry asked "Is it his speed, awareness, leadership, work ethic?"
Terry said it's all of these qualities that have transformed Earle over the years.
"Every year, Earle was a different player," Terry said. "Earle continued to improve in skill, and many times, if you watched security footage, he was in the weight room when he shouldn't have been."
Jerome has been on the A and B honor roll since 2014, according to Dallas Valentine, an LHS teacher.
"Academics is what is going to carry you through college as a student athlete," said Randy Robertson, LHS boys basketball coach.
Earle said Tammy Gates and Wyatt Strand helped him with the process of college recruitment.
"I had no idea where to begin," Jerome said. "They helped me to get started on the final step to pursuing my dream."
