Domonique Lennon decided
to post on YouTube video highlights of his junior year when he led
Nansemond Suffolk Academy to the Virginia Independent Schools Division 2
state title for friends and family to enjoy.
Lennon never imagined the
thousands of others who would wind up watching the highlight. Included
in that number was East Carolina's associate head coach and linebackers
coach, John Wiley.
“My friend actually put
the highlight film together for me,'' Lennon said. “We sat down and got
some of my best plays, and just uploaded them onto YouTube. It was just
for fun. I was surprised when I found out they (ECU coaches) had seen it
there.''
The video earned Lennon an
invitation to make an unofficial visit to Greenville to check out the
campus and participate in the Pirates summer camp. From there, ECU
extended a scholarship offer, which the 6-foot-2, 189-pounder accepted
on June 21.
The Pirates have recruited
Lennon as a safety or cornerback, but he's starred in the secondary and
at quarterback as a prep player.
Lennon was the starting
quarterback at another area school, Landstown High, as a sophomore. But
a relationship between Lennon's uncle, former Virginia linebacker Skeet
Jones, and first-year Nansemond Suffolk Academy coach Kevin Allen
resulted in his transfer last season.
“His uncle and I played
against each other in high school,'' Allen said. “We've actually been
friends for quite a while. He (Jones) wanted him (Lennon) to come over
here with me this year.''
Lennon was surprised to
learn when he arrived at Nansemond Suffolk Academy that Allen had wanted
him to play safety as well as quarterback.
“I had played one game at
defensive back in two years at safety for Landstown,'' Lennon said. “I
had a pretty good game, and I liked it. But they chose to use me mainly
at quarterback.
“When I got over here (NSA),
Coach Allen was like, 'You're going to be a defensive back.' He coached
me up and told me what I needed to know,'' Lennon said. “He showed me
how to backpedal, how to get in and out of breaks and how to run through
somebody. After that, everything else came naturally.''
The move would turn Lennon
into a two-way star. He earned Virginia Independent Schools all-state
honors and was a first-team All-Tidewater selection at both positions in
sparking Nansemond Suffolk Academy to the state championship. Lennon
produced 18 touchdowns from his quarterback spot and made 85 tackles and
six interceptions as a safety.
Area schools like Old
Dominion, Hampton and Norfolk State had begun to recruit Lennon after
the season when the highlight video made its debut on YouTube.
“It came out of the
blue,'' Lennon said when informed ECU's Wiley had called. “I really
didn't know that much about East Carolina. I have friends that go there.
But I didn't know what conference they were in. So I started reading up
on them and saw they had won two straight conference championships.''
Wiley extended an
invitation to visit Greenville to Lennon for ECU's football camp in
early June. The trip sealed Lennon's decision to become a Pirate.
“When I went up there it
felt like home,'' Lennon said. “I do have family in North Carolina, so
it made me a little more comfortable being down there also. The coaching
staff was great and they have put guys in the league (NFL). I just liked
everything about it.''
The Pirates have recruited
Lennon to play safety or cornerback. Allen believes Lennon will be a
success at either position because of his all-around talents.
“He's got a lot of
strengths,'' Allen said. “One of his main strengths, which is great for
any athlete, is his confidence and love for the game. The kid really
loves football. He does anything he can to make sure he is prepared for
each season and each game.
“He's got good size and
the speed to go along with it. But his main strength is his intelligence
on the field. He makes sure he is prepared.''
Lennon became the fifth
player to join ECU's recruiting Class of 2011, but is the first
defensive back.’