!-- End Coach Kelvin Sigler Image--> Kelvin Sigler remembers what it was like when he and Chris Samuels signed their letters of intent to the University of Alabama in 1995. They sat with their families in the library at Shaw High School in Mobile. Shaw High School closed in 2008 three years after the last football season. The students were folded into Mattie T. Blount High School. This is where we find Coach Kevin Sigler today, running the football program and working to give his kids every opportunity to follow his path, securing an education through football.
"It's been crazy, but the kids have been really excited about today," Sigler said. "I'm just happy the kids have the opportunity to play at the next level, very excited for them. I'm excited for the parents. I really appreciate the parents giving us the opportunity to coach them here."
Coach Sigler is a relentless worker for his kids and today he watched nine of them sign on to extend their gridiron careers, one less than last year. "We have three more kids hopefully down the road with schools still looking at them," Sigler said. Concordia is interested in and may offer then and Miles College still looking at some of the kids."
Coach Sigler shared some insight into the kids that signed their intent letters today.
Jarrick Williams, 6-2 210 pounds, Defensive Back - University of Alabama
"Alabama has just been on him the hardest of all the schools. To be honest when I first got down here I asked him which schools he really liked and he said LSU, but Coach Saban and his staff did a great job of recruiting Jarrick and he just started liking Alabama a little bit more than the rest of the schools. I think he is a great fit. They are losing seven defensive backs from this year and I think he will have a great chance to play his first year."
Calvin Davison, 5-10 165 pounds, Receiver - Nicholls State
"Calvin has been a great athlete for us. He is a tremendous competitor. He was our starting quarterback last year and he made the switch over to wide receiver and did an excellent job for us. He caught 65 passes for over 965 yards and had 14 scores. He was also a great punt returner. He just made an excellent transition from quarterback to wide receiver and I think he will have a nice career at Nicholls State."
Jaron Bush, 6-2 280 pounds, Defensive Tackle
Paul May, 6-3 205 pounds, Defensive Line
Chris McGadney, 5-11 155 pounds, Receiver
Andrew Dennis, 5-11 150 pounds, Receiver
Aundra Dennis, 5-11 150 pounds, Receiver
Alabama State
"Jaron is another kid kind of under the radar. University of New Mexico offered and he had a couple of SWAC offers and when he visited Alabama State, he and his parents fell in love. Talk about a crazy thing. We were about thirty minutes away from signing and Tulane calls about Jaron. They lost a defensive lineman. Jaron wanted to make sure he had an offer on the table and went ahead and signed with Alabama State."
"Paul May he is one of those kids that is a great competitor. He gets after it. He only has one motor and that's full speed. Alabama State really liked him on film. Andrew and Aundra the twins and Chris, those guys came a long way and did an excellent job for us and it showed on the field. They've got the opportunity to go on and play at the next level."
"Chris had a good season for us this year. He's one of the kids that had to do a little growing up. We asked him to do some things this year and he came on. He surprised a lot of us and did a great job. He ended up second on the team in touchdowns. He had five receiving touchdowns. Chris has a bright future. He just has to get a little better work ethic and hopefully this opportunity will wake him up and he'll see he has another chance."
"Andrew and Aundra are very competitive. They need to gain some weight. Those two kids are going to compete, even against each other. They are always on each other if one messes up they are going to stay on each other and try to get better. They just like going out and playing the game of football."
Brian Binder, 5-10 320 pounds, Offensive Lineman
Elvin Muse, 5-11 180 pounds, Defensive Back
Concordia University
"Brian and Elvin are two kids that are small kids and Concordia is a NAIA school in Selma and they really liked them on film and it gives them another opportunity to go play football. Some schools they may be a little bit too short or a step slow. Concordia saw something in them and really wants them to come on."
We asked Coach Sigler if he could compare his experience on signing day with theirs.
"It was a little different when I signed back in 1995," Sigler said. "Chris Samuels and I signed together. We grew up together and we are still really good friends and always stay in touch. Our families came to the school and we signed in the library and it was exciting too. We were all excited to have the opportunity to go play for the University of Alabama and still to this day if I had to do it all over again I would still go to Alabama."
"I guess today you see more kids signing. I'm just trying to give them the opportunity that I had. I go out and try to send film on all the kids. Everybody won't be able to go to Alabama, Auburn, Tennessee or LSU. There are other schools out there, but I'm also looking for those kids too."
"I just try my best to stay in touch with the (college) coaches. I always go back and check with them just to see how they evaluated the film and if they have received it. Coaches have thousands of film on their desk all day, every day. It's kind of hard to get to films when it's piled up on your desk. I just try to make it a point to stay in touch. I won't say I bug them, but I just really want them to know about our kids."