APS student-athletes from around the district signed national letters-of-intent to play football and basketball for the colleges of their choice on Wednesday, Feb. 3 — the vaunted National Signing Day — in a ceremony held at The New Schools of Carver. All of the star APS athletes were there to make their commitment official, most notably blue-chip football players like the No. 1 defensive lineman in the nation, Douglass’ Garrison Smith, who signed with Georgia, as did girls’ basketball star (and McDonald’s All-America candidate) Khaalidah Miller. Other blue-chip athletes who signed were Washington High teammates Quadral Forte (a quarterback who signed with West Virginia) and Antonio Goodwin (a defensive back who signed with Auburn).
Just as impressively were the outstanding performances by players off the field. Douglass High girls basketball coach Vernise Harris-Hill said goodbye to five guards who sported at least a 3.4 grade point average. (Brooke Smith takes her 3.9 GPA to Georgia Tech; Chelsea Warfield is still deciding between Mississippi State and St. Johns; Gardenia Wilson is headed to North Georgia; and Cheryl Wade is split between Florida A&M and Texas-El Paso.)
Mays High wide receiver-defensive back Acey Palmer chose the Air Force Academy, where he will take his 3.4 grade-point average and 22 ACT score. “I could tell the coaches provide a really nurturing atmosphere and have your best interests in mind, especially with academics,” said Palmer, who made his decision after last weekend’s campus visit. He was particularly impressed with the Air Force’s graduation rate for student-athletes, which is among the nation’s highest. palmer says he wants to be a pilot.
Grady’s Christopher Walton thanked the Play It Smart program for helping him get a football scholarship to the University of Alabama-Birmingham. The program allows academic coaches at schools in the district to bring in tutors to help student-athletes with everything from academics to navigating the complicated recruiting process. “Not all of us know the process as far as when to take the SAT or ACT,” said Walton. “They help us improve our grades. My academic coach (Alexis Yancey) really helped. I mean, my parents were always telling me to do well in school and encouraged me, but she helped give me that extra push, and the [Play It Smart] tutor really helped me a lot in math.”
Come back to Talk Up APS and the District Website for more photos and video.
A list of student-athletes and their schools is at the jump …