-- will likely always remember Deion Calhoun. Not just for his fun-loving smile and outgoing personality.
When Calhoun signs with Mississippi State on National Signing Day next month, he'll become the first player from that program to even sign with an FBS school. The 6-foot-2, 310-pounder was offered by the Bulldogs on December 20th last month.
Calhoun, known as "Shaq" at his school, shortly thereafter on Christmas Day.
We got a big present today! has decided to join the family!!
-- Bulldog Recruiting (@MSU_DawgPound)"They offered him as an offensive lineman because he can play either center or guard," Restoration Academy coach Dewayne Coker said. "He can really play any position on the offensive line."
The fact he'll do it with an SEC team makes the feat even more impressive.
Calhoun, who was finally offered last month as an offensive lineman, was named to the 2013 Birmingham News All-Metro team last month. Any evaluator who's ever saw him pulling to lead the way on a run play would understand why.
Restoration Academy senior Deion "Shaq" Calhoun will open the 2013 season with several Conference USA offers, including UAB and Memphis. Why is that so impressive? Consider the fact that Restoration Academy started up an 8-man program in 1989, but then abandoned it. The Bulldogs didn't field a team from 1995 from 2003.
Coker led a 2004 revival and the team eventually began playing 11-man football among the Alabama Independent Schools Association in 2008.
The school still doesn't have its own practice field. Its football team practices across the street at Fairfield's City Park.
It trains in the outfield of a baseball diamond. Yet the and fell in the title game this fall.
That's the Metro school with an SEC recruit on its 35-member team among an approximate 78 boys amid a 160-student enrollment. The Bulldogs don't have their own stadium. They play home games at Birmingham-Southern.
Restoration Academy's Deion Calhoun was also named to the Alabama Sports Writers Association's AISA All-State team this season. (Dennis Victory/preps@al.com) "It is huge considering the fact that he has come up through our program," Coker said. "Its not like he's not some kid we recruited away from another 6A program like some folks seem to think. He's been with us here since the sixth grade. He's come up and grown up through our school and our football program."Southern Miss was his leader before the Bulldogs offered. Calhoun had waited on them while he collected other offers from Middle Tennessee, Tulane, Western Kentucky and UAB. Coker said Calhoun had double-digit offers and had a offer from most of Conference USA to play football.
"He is very athletic for a guy his size," Coker said. "He runs a 4.8 40-yard dash at 310 pounds. They like his ability and the way he moves. He's somewhere between 6-foot-2 and 6-foot-3 in height. That's pretty good speed for a big man at that size."
BulldogBlitz.com, the Rivals site for Mississippi State football, lists Calhoun as the fourth offensive lineman commitment in the 2014 class.
"I see myself as so much more than just an offensive lineman," Calhoun told BulldogBlitz last month. "I felt like I had a great season and my team did really well. Defensively was where I felt I shined the most this past year. The coaches want me to play guard but said that I have some options because of my versatility."
Coker said there will be no issues with Calhoun qualifying. He said that Calhoun carries an approximate 3.4 grade point average and recalled that he had an approximate score of a 19 on the ACT.
"He's a real smart football player and that and his motor are probably his biggest strengths as a football player," Coker said. "His height might allow him to play center one day."