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The words that were written across the "National Letter Of Intent" exclaimed the pure joy that Southport Senior Joe Gilliam was feeling.
"Coach Hope, I would love to be a Boiler!"
Wednesday morning Gilliam became one of twenty athletes that signed with Purdue University to play for their football team. However, not a single one could have expressed the satisfaction of reaching the next level as Gilliam.
"This is one of the happiest days of my life so far," said Gilliam on the experience of Signing Day. "I'm just so excited, I can't wait to get up there and get started."
Gilliam, who had never played organized football before his freshman year of high school, is a 6"2, 205 pound linebacker the type of football player Southport Head Coach Bill Peebles wishes every player could be.
"He is somebody, that if you asked any of his teachers, they would say they wished they had students like him all day long," said Coach Peebles. "He is a very respectful young man, he is well spoken, and his priorities are in the right way. He just does things the right way, so it is always great when you get young men like Joe."
Gilliam plans to make trips on the weekends during the spring to work out and get acquainted with the team, but for now, the Southport Cardinal is just trying to wrap his head around the fact that he is a division one football player.
"It was kind of like a whirlwind when I found out they offered me a scholarship," said Gilliam. "Later on in the recruitment process when I found out this is the place for me, all of this has been like a dream come true."
"Coach Hope, I would love to be a Boiler!"
Wednesday morning Gilliam became one of twenty athletes that signed with Purdue University to play for their football team. However, not a single one could have expressed the satisfaction of reaching the next level as Gilliam.
"This is one of the happiest days of my life so far," said Gilliam on the experience of Signing Day. "I'm just so excited, I can't wait to get up there and get started."
Gilliam, who had never played organized football before his freshman year of high school, is a 6"2, 205 pound linebacker the type of football player Southport Head Coach Bill Peebles wishes every player could be.
"He is somebody, that if you asked any of his teachers, they would say they wished they had students like him all day long," said Coach Peebles. "He is a very respectful young man, he is well spoken, and his priorities are in the right way. He just does things the right way, so it is always great when you get young men like Joe."
Gilliam plans to make trips on the weekends during the spring to work out and get acquainted with the team, but for now, the Southport Cardinal is just trying to wrap his head around the fact that he is a division one football player.
"It was kind of like a whirlwind when I found out they offered me a scholarship," said Gilliam. "Later on in the recruitment process when I found out this is the place for me, all of this has been like a dream come true."
