TIFTON — You can safely say this season there will be former Tift County Blue Devils on football fields from coast-to-coast.
Larry Bryant will be playing for the Reedley Community College Tigers, a junior college in California, while Zach Brown will be lining up for the Ferrum College (Va.) Panthers.
In total, there could be almost 20 players on college rosters this season who graduated from Tift County High.
“I am proud of all of these guys,” said Tift coach Jay Walls. “The credit really goes to them, because they put the hard work in as students, as well as athletes.”
There will be three former Devils playing at Division I schools this season — Israel Troupe at the University of Georgia, Zach Allen at North Carolina State University and Sumner Ellis at Louisiana Tech.
As a member of the Georgia Bulldogs, Troupe is on the preseason No. 1-ranked team in the nation.
“Israel has a opportunity to play a lot on a great team,” said Walls. “He is physically and mentally on track to play a lot this year for Georgia.”
While Troupe is a redshirt freshman, Allen will enter his first year at N.C. State as a true freshman. That means Allen’s playing time could be limited.
“They have moved him to offensive guard, and he is feels good about his future there,” Walls said of Allen.
After beginning his college career at Presbyterian College in South Carolina, Ellis is now a member of the Bulldogs of Louisiana Tech.
“He has done academically well there, and he has an opportunity to play a lot this year,” said Walls.
While Troupe is in a position to possibly be a part of a Division I national champion in 2008, two former Blue Devils already have national title rings.
Larry Dean and Britt Wilson were each a part of the 2007 national championship team at Valdosta State University. Both are back for the 2008 season with Dean being the only sophomore named as a team captain, while Wilson will be along the offensive line.
“It says a lot for Larry to be a team captain as a sophomore,” said Walls.
The biggest contigent of former Blue Devils are at the University of the Cumberlands (Ky.). The Patriots, the defending champions of the Eastern Division of the Mid South Conference, feature former Tift players Astin Roberson, Anthony Woods, Almarcus Williams and Corey Maddox.
Two former Devils will be at Georgia Southern this season. Charlie Edwards is expected to be the team’s starting punter, while Justin Wilson is a preferred walk-on, who could see time as a long snapper.
Albany State University will also feature a pair of former Devils.
Jay Gaskins is expected to see a lot of time in the defensive backfield as a sophomore, while Kaream Hess will be on the travel team as a true freshman running back/wide receiver.
James Carter should see a lot of action for MEAC powerhouse Howard University, while Ryan Wilson will line up as a defensive tackle for Morehouse University.
Up at Shorter College, former Devil Jarvis Jones will continue to help that new program on the map.
As mentioned earlier, Bryant will play at Reedley Community College in California this season.
“From what the coaches have told me out there, they are expecting a big season out of him,” said Walls.
Brown is also expected to expand on his successful freshman season at Ferrum.
Last year, Brown had 63 total tackles, including six for loss yardage. He also had two sacks, three interceptions and seven passes broken up.
Two other former Devils, Lanarius McKinley and Sean Baxley, could also be on college rosters this season.
Local Sports
AREA FOOTBALL PREVIEW: Blue Devils go from coast to coast this season
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