By Michael Kinney
For most fans of high school football in Oklahoma, it took a while for Austin Haywood to come to their attention. Before the 2009 football season began, the 6-foot-4, 245-pound senior from Southmoore was more known for his basketball exploits than his talents on the gridiron.
However, it didn't take long for that to change. Midway through his senior year, Austin started to get noticed by fans and college coaches alike. Arizona, Kansas, UCLA, Arkansas, Oregon State and Oklahoma State all made a run at the multifaceted tight-end.
But it was the University of Oklahoma which made the biggest impression on Haywood, who committed to the Sooners Nov. 18.
"I thought it was the right school for me," Haywood said. "They lost their tight end this year in Jermaine Gresham. And I think I have a chance to come in and compete for a spot. Plus, it's close to home."
Haywood hauled in 34 receptions for 578 yards and 12 touchdowns. In the various lineups the SaberCats use, he has also been able to carry the rock 33 times for 134 yards and eight more scores. Rivals.com currently has him ranked as the second best player in the state and the No. 7 tight end in the country.
Southmoore coach Chris Jensen saw right away that Haywood would be factor on his team. He just t didn't know how much.
"I knew he was athletic and I saw him on the basketball court be able to manipulate his body to make catches," Jensen said. "And he had great hands. You just never know if that is going to translate to the football field. He had the qualities, but for a kid to take those qualities and use them on the football field as well, you couldn't answer that question until you saw him out there. Those questions have been answered. He is definitely a quality football player."
Haywood was a major reason the Cats, in only their second season, advance to the semifinals of the Class 6A state championship. But he was not the only one. That will be evident when Haywood join between 13-17 other Southmoore football players who will sign National Letters of Intent today.
That includes cornerback Julian Wilson, who got the ball rolling last summer when he committed to Oklahoma. He is looking forward to what lay ahead for both him and Haywood with the Sooners.
"The first thing that went through my mind was that my commitment is more solid than ever," Wilson said. "We are going to be roommates down there. And I am playing with a high school teammate. You can't beat that."
Other players who will sign include Mason Myers (Colorado State), Ryland Widener (Northern Colorado), Derek Serowski (Central Oklahoma), Nyko Symonds (undecided).
As many as seven SaberCats list Southern Nazarene as a possible destination. That include Troy Buffington, who played in only one game this season after transferring from Norman North.
For Southmoore to have this many players signing two years into their program is an impressive accomplishment. But it didn't happen by accident.
"It's big," Jensen said. "It's a credit to the job a couple of my coaches do in promoting our kids at the next level. We send out over 4,000 e-mails that have highlight videos and stats and stuff like that throughout the football season. Kept them updated every week. Had over 900 responses from college coaches from the e-mails we sent out. There is lot of hard work being put into that. And we have a good group of kids that deserve that kind of recognition."
Jensen feels that his coaches job does not end once they leave the field. Making sure his players have a chance to get an education and play at the next level is just as critical as what happens between the chalk lines.
"I think it's very important," Jensen said. "It's important to have those contacts. Keep up to date with the coaching carousal that goes on at the NCAA level. To make sure we always know who is recruiting our school and who their recruiting coordinators are. Getting e-mail contacts for them has been important for us."
