Soon after being hired as East Carolina's safeties coach in January 2020, Tripp Weaver reached out to Tyrik McDaniel in hopes of luring the Irmo, SC, safety to the Pirates. Weaver had previously offered McDaniel a scholarship at his previous post as defensive coordinator at Western Carolina and felt the 6-foot-1, 200-pounder who had helped Dutch Fork High School win four … [Read more...]

Raheim Jeter realized a dream come true October 22nd when he accepted a scholarship offer to play major college football at East Carolina. "I can remember me and my brother getting up early in the morning to watch the (ESPN) SportsCenter Top 10 (plays), or when the polls were released every week,'' the Spartanburg, SC, quarterback said. "College football at the Division I … [Read more...]

Marlin Taylor worked with a lot of speedy athletes in four seasons as offensive line coach at South Carolina powerhouse Dutch Fork High School, which won state 5-A titles in each of those years. But when Taylor departed Dutch Fork to become head coach at Lower Richland High just outside of Columbia, he inherited an athlete "in a class of his own'' in Nate Branch. "I've … [Read more...]

Casey Smith has helped mentor a number of National Football League players during his coaching career. There's Brandon Faycson, a cornerback for the Indianapolis Colts, and Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Mike Hilton. And most recently, defensive tackle C.J. Brewer signed with the Buffalo Bills. Smith, now the head coach at Union Grove High School outside of Atlanta, believes … [Read more...]

Tom Hall had just been named head football coach at Blessed Trinity High School in March 2021 when he received a request from a surprising source. Former Parade All-American, three-year starter at the University of Georgia and first-round National Football League draft pick Charles Grant wanted to meet with Hall regarding his son. Hall was more than happy to oblige. After … [Read more...]