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Highlands Today

Streak Standouts Ink Letters Of Intent

Brian Gjurgevich/Highlands Today

Sebring’s T.J. Williams (left) and Sam Robinson signed letters of intent to play football at community colleges in Mississippi on Wednesday morning.

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By Brian Gjurgevich | Highlands Today

Published: February 8, 2008

SEBRING — Sam Robinson and T.J. Williams put pen to paper and took the next step in their athletic and academic lives on Wednesday, as both Sebring football standouts signed letters of intent to play football at separate community colleges in Mississippi.

Robinson, a multi-talented, multi-position offensive weapon, will head to Pearl River Community College in Poplarville, Miss., while Williams, a bruising running back, will take his talents to Holmes Community College in Goodman, Miss.

"I want to continue to work on my game, be coachable and be the best I can be," said Williams, who has family in Mississippi and noted he'll likely line up as a running back for the Bulldogs. "There's more speed and physical play at the next level, so I'll have to adjust to that."

Robinson, too, said he'll have to make adjustments: He said he'll likely play wide receiver and safety for the Wildcats, a district power who won the national championship in 2004 and state titles four of the past five seasons.

"In college, they like to jam you up at the line, and I didn't get much of that here," he said. "I'll have to work hard to get off the line."

Besides their work on the gridiron, both Williams and Robinson hope to work on their academics in order to draw interest from a Division-I college. Robinson said former Wildcats have gone on to play at Louisiana State and South Florida, and that he hopes he can follow that path.

"They've had some pretty good guys come out," Robinson said. "I'm just hoping I can be the next one."

Sebring coach Jared Hamlin said going to community college is the path many talented players go, and that it will help both Blue Streak standouts understand the academic demands a big-time program will present.

He noted the commercials that often play during college football games, which note the vast majority of NCAA student athletes "go pro in something other than the sport they play."

"Both of them are capable of playing at a large Division-I program, but they're taking this route so they can work on their academics," Hamlin said. "We're glad we were able to get them to a place where they can achieve bigger and better things, both athletically and academically ."

Both players were flanked by their families, and their signings were broadcast on Sebring High's school station during morning announcements. Hamlin said he expects at least three more of his graduating seniors — Kyle Long, Brannen Dorman and Isaac Fernandez — to sign in the coming weeks.

"We've had about 20 guys from here sign in the past four seasons," Hamlin said. "Every year, everybody that wants an opportunity to play at the next level and took care of their job in the classroom has been able to find places for them. We can use football to get them an education, and that's the most important thing."

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