WEST POINT — Devin Morton wasn’t ready to give up playing football.
After a successful playing career at West Point High School and Hinds Community College, the chances to continue to play were dwindling.
Tusculum College then came to the rescue.
Morton signed with the NCAA Division II-member Pioneers on Wednesday. The school is located in Greenville, Tennessee.
“I wanted to expand my knowledge and further my football career,” Morton said. “When you have played basically your whole life, you want to continue to play. It is exciting to have two more seasons to play to see how far I can go.”
The 6-foot, 290-pound Morton was an anchor on the offensive line at West Point High. In Morton’s senior season in 2015, the Green Wave won 11 games and paved the way for Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA) Class 5A State championships in 2016 and 2017.
“As a coach, it feels great when you see players able to play four years,” West Point coach Chris Chambless said. “It’s great when they are able to go all the way through school with their education being paid for. This program has always had strong connections with former players. It means a lot when they choose their high school to come back and hold their signing. It shows the impact our program had on them while they were here.”
In 2017, Hinds C.C. returned to the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges (MACJC) playoffs. The Eagles were ranked in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) top 10 for most of the season. The Eagles (6-3) finished 11th nationally.
“Playing at Hinds was a great experience,” Morton said. “We had some challenges this season with a coaching change real close to the start of the season. Everybody handled their business. Offensively, we were able to score a lot of points. It was fun blocking for those guys.”
Longtime coach Gene Murphy retired prior to the start of the season. Larry Williams took over and led the squad back to the playoffs after a 2-7 record in 2016. The season ended with a first-round playoff loss at Northwest Mississippi C.C.
At Tusculum, Morton is one of four mid-year transfers the school confirmed Wednesday. Coach Jerry Odom led the Pioneers to a 5-5 record in his second season as head coach.
“It is somewhere I can step in and play right away. That’s exciting,” Morton said. “The biggest challenge is this will be my third different offensive style. However, I look forward to getting there, learning the plays, and hitting the ground running. This is a new challenge, but I am excited about it.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Scott Walters on Twitter @dispatchscott
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
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