COURTLAND
Southampton High School seniors Rakuan Briggs and Troy Grant last month signed letters of intent to play football on scholarship at Virginia Union University. The pair, who turned down offers from schools such as Ferrum College, Virginia State, Uva-Wise and North Carolina Wesleyan, will join former teammates Coby Williams and Russell Ballance when they take the field for the Panthers this fall.

“[Virginia Union gives] me the ability to stay closer to home so my family can see me play,” Briggs said. “The head coach [Mark James] expressed a lot of interest in me as a young man and not just an athlete.”

Grant also cited Virginia Union’s proximity to Southampton County and the coaching staff as reasons to further his athletic and scholastic career in Richmond.

“The gave me an opportunity to play close to home,” he said, “[The coaches] made me feel comfortable, and I feel that the head coach has a good plan for winning a championship.”

Briggs, a wide receiver, and Grant, a defensive tackle, played together in the Virginia High School Coaches Association All-Star Game back in December.

They credit their high school coach Willie Gillus, a former NFL quarterback, for exposing them to the idea of playing football after high school while getting a good education.

“Coach Gillus continued to tell us that we needed to keep our grades up so that we can get an education. He also told us that athletics is (sic) a way to pay for our education,” said Briggs, who will major in physical education.

“[He] also told us that we need a good education to succeed in life,” said Grant, whose emphasis will be on criminology. “I want to play in the NFL, but I want to live a real comfortable life. I am going to focus on my education so I can live like I want to.”