A trio of SBCC sophomore football players signed national letters-of-intent on Wednesday to continue their careers at NCAA Division 1 schools.
Cornerback Delency Parham will play for the University of Idaho, tight end Tyson Heller signed with Portland State and safety Mitch Nelson committed to Southeast Missouri State.
Idaho is an NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) school that competes in the Western Athletic Conference. Portland State and SE Missouri are Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) schools that play in the Big Sky and Ohio Valley Conferences, respectively.
“This is the first time we’ve had early signings in my seven years with the program,” said SBCC coach Craig Moropoulos. “That’s really rewarding because that means they’re not only athletically capable, they’re also academically sound. It’s a credit to the guys and all the work they’ve done.”
Parham was a second-team All-American Pacific Conference choice. He had 46 tackles, two interceptions and led the state with 20 pass breakups.
“Idaho has a brand-new coaching staff and their resumes speak for themselves,” said Parham, a 6-foot, 180-pounder. “A lot of them either played in the NFL, coached in the NFL or played at a high Div. 1 level.”
Parham noted that the Vandals will be playing two SEC teams (Mississippi, Tennessee) and an ACC school (Florida State) in 2013.
“The coaching staff and my teammates at SBCC have prepared me to play at the highest level,” Parham added. “My professors and academic counselors really got me prepared and kept me on the right track to make sure I got my AA (degree).”
Heller, the nephew of former NFL tight end and Santa Barbara resident Ron Heller, caught 27 passes for 313 yards and three TDs for the Vaqueros, who went 4-6 in 2012.
“This is my dream come true,” said Heller. “My uncle played pro ball and college ball and I’ve always wanted to follow in his footsteps. … I love the coaching staff at Portland State, the city is great and the players who hosted me (on his recruiting visit), it was like I already knew them.”
Portland State will play at Pac-12 member California next year.
Nelson was seventh in the APC with 73 tackles and three interceptions. He also averaged 16.4 yards on 13 punt returns. He was voted MVP of the special teams.
In his freshman year of 2011, Nelson was second in the conference and 10th in Southern Cal with 90 tackles.
“Anytime you have college signings, it’s a plus for your program,” added Moropoulos. “It’s a real credit to the guys. The time commitment is tremendous for student-athletes and they’ve done a great job of improving as athletes while also keeping their academics in perspective and doing well in the classroom.”
