Munford senior Jacoby Miguel signed a football scholarship with Campbellsville University last Thursday. Family members joining him at the ceremony included Charla McMahan, mother; Eric McMahan, stepfather; Arnell Borum, grandfather; Barbara Borum, grandmother; Bertha Borum, grandmother; and Zabedee Borum, father. Photo by Jeff Ireland
A few months ago Munford seniors Jacoby Miguel, Traveon Hawkins, Kelton Mason and Jarra Dowell took a road trip to Kentucky to visit Campbellsville University and check out its football program.
It made an impression on the Cougar teammates, all four of whom were major contributors to the Munford football program the last three seasons.
Mason and Hawkins signed with Campbellsville last month and Dowell plans to sign soon. Last Thursday Miguel made his commitment to the school official during a signing ceremony in the Munford High School cafeteria.
“It was kind of easy to make my decision because I’ve been playing with those guys my whole life,” Miguel said.
Miguel and Mason began playing together in a youth flag football league. Hawkins joined the duo in the seventh grade and Dowell completed the quartet two years later.
“It has kind of a home-town feel, kind of like Munford,” Miguel said when asked his impressions after visiting Campbellsville. “It felt great and the environment was great. it felt like we could make a difference on that team.”
“I think it’s good for the guys outside of football,” Munford head coach Slade Calhoun said. “You’re going somewhere new but you’re going with people you know. They can kind of lean on each other. He had options. I think he wanted to go somewhere with his buddies.”
Miguel, a 6-1, 220-pound inside linebacker, led Munford last season with 75 tackles, including a team-high 10 for loss.
Calhoun called Miguel one his all-time favorite players.
“He’s an extremely hard worker,” Calhoun said. “He has wanted to play in college since his sophomore year. He had a vision and a plan and he worked hard to carry it out. He’s taken care of his business academically.”
Calhoun played at Campbellsville from 1997 to 1998 and is from Kentucky, but said he does not steer his players to his old school.
“I don’t pressure them to go to any particular place,” Calhoun said. “I just give them advice and let them and their parents decide.”
