A pair of Greeneville football players had the chance to extend their athletic careers on Thursday afternoon after signing letters of intent in front of their friends and families.
Brandon Iezzi signed to join the Cavaliers of the University of Virginia at Wise, and Jeriah Griffin inked with the Blue Raiders of Lindsey Wilson.
“I have worked so hard for this opportunity and a lot of stress and time went into this decision,” Iezzi said. “It’s not easy to commit somewhere, from coaches, to the school, to the area a lot has gone into this decision. But I’m excited about the future.”
“It feels great to sign today,” Griffin said. “I feel blessed to be able to play at the next level. Ever since I was a kid I’ve always wanted to play college football. Now the journey continues.”
Iezzi has been a standout offensive and defensive lineman for the Greene Devils, and earned All-State honors this season after being named the Region 1-4A Offensive lineman of the year. Heading to Wise he will focus on being an interior offensive lineman and is hopeful to get on the field early.
“They see me as interior offensive lineman and I should see the field pretty early,” Iezzi said. “They had three guys graduate last year. So that’s exciting, to know that I have that opportunity to play early. I like to get after it. In high school I was playing both ways, but in college I won’t have to do that. I can devote all of my time to offense and I think that will make me better. I think I’ll have a lot more energy and be able to give my all on every play.”
UVA-Wise is a Division II school that plays in the South Atlantic Conference. The Cavaliers are coming off a 4-6 season under first-year head coach Gary Bass. In recent years several Greene Devils have played at Wise including freshman linebacker Bryson Myers. That made Iezzi more comfortable with the program.
“I had opportunities at other places, but the coaching staff really made the difference,” Iezzi said. “Former teammates are there and several guys from Greeneville have gone there. That made me feel good. Getting that honest opinion from guys who have been there helped a lot in making this decision.”
Griffin joined the Greeneville football team early in his senior season, and with such a big change late in his high school career there could have easily been doubts about whether college football was in his future. But he immediately found a fit with the Greene Devils and was able to achieve his lifelong goal.
“I got a little anxious some days. I worried that somebody might not see me. But I just left it up to God and trusted in the process,” Griffin said. “I knew there would be a team out there for me. My teammates and coaches here were great and everybody welcomed me in. I immediately felt like I had been here for years. They got me to be the best player I could be.”
Lindsey Wilson is an NAIA school located in Columbia, Kentucky. The Blue Raiders went 5-4 this past season and 3-3 in Mid-South Conference play. Griffin was drawn to their wide-open offense that spreads the ball around to a variety of receivers.
“Lindsey Wilson felt like they were the most all in on me,” Griffin said. “I like their system. I like the school. The receivers coach and offensive coordinator said they like to spread the ball out to their receivers and that caught my attention.”
Griffin finished the season with 20 catches for 270 yards and six touchdowns. On defense he made 17 tackles. He was named All-Region 1-4A.
He plans to major in sports Management and wants to work in sports once he graduates.
