Three Westside High Football Players Have Multiple Offers from Division I Colleges

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) - Three players on a Middle Georgia high school football team have received multiple Division I scholarship offers to play football in college.

Brian Whitaker, Shannon Smith, and Jalen Lawrence will all continue their football careers at the collegiate level.  They have offers from:

"Auburn, Middle Tennessee, Georgia State, Vanderbilt, Maryland.." says Whitaker.

"Texas Tech, Colorado State, Georgia State, Troy, Middle Tennessee.." says Lawrence.

And the lists go on.

Smith recently narrowed down his list and committed to play for Troy University in south Alabama.

"It made me feel like a family," says Smith.  "Everybody treated me right, and they had my major: Physical Therapy."

Speaking of academics, these guys don't play games.  The three have an average GPA of around 3.5.

"I just gotta learn how to ration out my time effectively because I know when I get home from practice, I really don't want to do it," says Lawrence.  "So I make sure I try and do all my homework in school where I'm near the teachers and I got all the help I need."

"I feel like if you can't get the grades in the classroom, you can't play football," says Smith.  "That's why I do my work."

"The younger boys, they come to me and they just tell me that they like it," says Whitaker.  "I see it start working with them, so everything works out for the best."

Brian's brother Jeffrey, who played at Warner Robins, currently plays at Auburn.

"The main thing he says is to be humble," says Whitaker.  "And my school of choice: Select it when it best fits me where I can benefit the most as far as education and football."

Three young leaders will begin their college football careers next fall, but they have one last season at Westside High.

"We have the potential to be great," says Smith.  "If we come to practice, work hard, stay focused, we'll be great during the season."

Lawrence agrees.

"I just want the fans to come out and watch us, and watch us do our thing."

The Westside Seminoles will kick off their 2012 season on August 31st.  They'll host Central High School at 7:30 at the Ed DeFore Sports Complex.