With seven football players signing in 2016, Woodberry Forest figured that would be the benchmark for the program for quite sometime. The Class of 2017 decided differently as nine different Tigers their college football decisions on National Signing day. And on hand to introduce each of the nine athletes, was former Woodberry coach Clint Alexander who resigned this past fall upon the season’s conclusion.
“They literally did everything we asked them to do this year and it was a tough schedule and there was adversity in the middle of the season with my situation and they responded to that by getting closer as a team,” Alexander said. “They are such a special bunch. You can see it in their personalities and it showed up on the field.”
Three different Tigers are staying very close to home. For starters, two-time Scrimmage Play offensive player of the year and the SP record holder for most career passing yards and touchdowns, Lindell Stone, made his long courtship with the University of Virginia final.
“To cement Coach Alexander’s legacy is what we wanted to do this year,” Stone said. “He taught me how to be a Woodberry man… freshman year, I don’t think we had nine guys going to playing college football, I know I didn’t see it. To see that now is spectacular.”
The quarterback will be joined by Terrell Jana who is also headed to UVa where he figures to play at defensive back and possibly at wide receiver and as a special teamer. The Canadian native was first team All-Scrimmage Play at receiver in the lone two years he played for the Tigers.
And then there’s John Kirven, who was initially committed to UVa, then wasn’t after the Cavaliers changed coaches from Mike London to Bronco Mendenhall, but then suddenly figured back into Virginia’s plans, this time as a defensive lineman instead of as a tight end. Either way, it all worked out. Kirven started out at Woodberry playing goalkeeper in soccer but was convinced by Alexander to suit up and play football.
“It’s an exciting moment and I’m so happy to have it finalized, having committed twice,” Kirven said. “If you push yourself off the field, no matter where you line up on the field, you can find a way to be successful.”
As such, one third of the Tigers’ signees on Wednesday will play in Charlottesville.
One of Kirven’s linemates on defense, Connor Koch, earned a preferred walk-on opportunity to play at Texas Christian University.
Joe Stephenson signed with Army, making it the second straight year Woodberry has sent a linebacker to play at West Point after Ryan Grady suited up for the Knights this past fall. Stephenson is a two-time All-Scrimmage Play linebacker.
Bebe Olaniyan is headed to play at the University of Connecticut. His older brother, Aramide (Class of 2010), signed to play with UCLA. Olaniyan will play defensive back for the Huskies and was first team All-SP this year at that same position.
Josh Diaz, an anchor on the offensive line this year and another All-Scrimmage Play selection is heading to Towson. Fellow linemate Darius Mackay, another Canadian native that made his way down to Woodberry along with Jana, is headed back to his home country. Mackay signed to play at Carleton College out of Canadian capital of Ottawa in Ontario.
Last but not least, was Wallace Bruner who will play for Sewannee. In all, it gave the Tigers nine players headed to next level with more likely to come at the Division III, Division II and potentially FCS level as coaches scramble to add talent based on Wednesday’s results.
“I think you heard about this group when each player spoke — Wallace Bruner is thanking Bebe Olaniyan for playing against him in practice and Terrell Jana for coaching him up,” Alexander said. “Our kids did a great job mentoring each other. There was also sense of this group saying, we’re not going to let this program fall. That’s what they do. They handle adversity.”
And for Alexander? It’s off to Gland Blanc High in Michigan where he’ll look to build one of the largest public programs in the state into what Woodberry become shortly after his arrival.
“It means to much to us personally that he was here for this, to talk with us,” Kirven said. “He changed our lives. I mean he really changed mine. I was playing basketball and soccer. He was right, showed me that I had more of a football mentality. Having him back was just great, it meant so much to us as a team.”
And so now Woodberry officially turns the page.
