BREMEN, Ala. – Cold Springs High School’s Jesse George Gymnasium was packed with friends, family, coaches and teammates Tuesday to help another Eagles standout celebrate the next step in their athletic career. Zeke White officially signed his national letter of intent to play for Millsaps College and Head Coach Isaac Carter. To kick off the ceremony, Cold Springs Principal Eric Dickerson took a moment to talk about Zeke’s
“As a ninth-grader, he was like most ninth-graders,” Dickerson joked. “And he has come so far in four years. Now, he’s one of those kids that if I need anything, he’s the one I go to and that’s about as high a compliment I can give you because I don’t trust just anybody. I have no doubt that going forward, he’ll be successful, not just in college but beyond college in whatever he chooses to do in his life.”
Coach Justin Cornelius has been watching Zeke every step of the way during his prep career and shared some words with the students at the ceremony about his relationship with him as a player and a person.
“What I can tell you guys is when we started this journey, he was in eighth grade starting on varsity football. So, to see where he was in the eighth grade and watch him involve from a boy into a young man has really been one of the greatest joys I could have being here,” Cornelius said. “The relationship I’ve had with Zeke I would say has always been bigger than football. It’s not about how good you are on the field, it’s about how good you can be in life. It’s about who you are as a person and fortunately for us, Zeke provided that. He’s a good football player, but he’s a great guy. We’re losing something here at Cold Springs and they’re gaining something at Millsaps and I’m thankful to have grown with him and I love him.”
Before signing, Zeke wanted to speak to the crowd for a moment as well, taking the time to thank everyone who’s helped him reach this goal.
“Thank you all for coming out today. I’d like to thank God for giving me the ability to play the game I love, I’d like to thank my parents for always believing in me, always having my back through everything and molding me into the best person I can be,” White said. “I’d also like to thank my sister Rilee (White) for always being a role model and someone I can look up to and the rest of my family for all the time and support over the years. I’d like to thank all my coaches over the years for the dedication they’ve put into me and Coach Corn for being like a second dad to me and always having my back on and off the field and believing in me no matter how crazy my dream was. I’d like to thank all my teachers for pushing me in the classroom because, I definitely wouldn’t be where I am today without y’all and finally, I want to thank Mr. (Eric) Dickerson, Ms. (Jyme) Jennings and CSH for all the memories and lifelong friends I have made.”
Cornelius believes that what sets Zeke apart from other high school players is his commitment to doing the work and preparation required to improve on the field.
“Where we saw him grow the most was just his energy, his strength and his passion and that was always there but as he made that transition from a junior to a senior, you really saw that come out,” Cornelius said. “He never misses a workout, he’s at every practice, he’s a dependable guy on the field and no matter what we ask him to do, he’s going to do it better than anybody else on our team can do it.”
Zeke got to know some of the coaching staff at Millsaps before visiting the campus and when he did the chance to visit, he felt comfortable right away.
“I had been in contact with a couple of the coaches before I went on my visit and when I got there, everybody was just very welcoming to me, and I just knew after I toured the campus and met everybody it just felt like the right place,” White said. “It felt like another home. I’m looking forward to starting my next chapter and taking it to the next level.”
As excited as White is to kick off the next stage of his football career, he knows he’ll miss the time he’s spent and the relationships he’s made at Cold Springs.
“I’ve had a lot of great coaches over the years, and they’ve just always put a lot of hard work and dedication into helping me and I’m going to take that to the next level. I’ve just always been around a lot of great people,” White said. “Cold Springs is a great place and I’ve made so many lifelong friends and memories I can cherish. One thing I’ll miss is just going out there every day and working as hard as I can and getting that paycheck as Coach (Cornelius) would say on Friday night. So, that’s probably the biggest thing I’ll miss.”
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