Story and Photos by Rusty Ellis
Cookeville senior DJ Potts-Heard took the next step in his athletic and academic journey on Wednesday, as he signed his national letter of intent to play basketball at Calvin University after graduation.
“Words can’t describe how I’m feeling,” Potts-Heard said. “I’m just feeling blessed, really good, and I’m really excited for the next chapter of my life.”
Calvin has been in touch with Potts-Heard since he was a sophomore, and after visiting the campus a couple times, he just felt like it was the right place for him.
“They started recruiting me very early, and they always stuck with me,” Potts-Heard said. “I took a couple visits and thought Calvin really spoke to me…I met the team and the coaches, and the campus is really nice. I went to one of their games against a rival school, and the environment was crazy.”
And as far as what his coach at CHS thinks, the fit couldn’t be any more perfect for Potts-Heard.
“He is an awesome kid, not just on the court, but off the court,” said CHS head coach Josh Heard. “I love that about him…I saw pictures, and (Calvin’s) hard to turn down. Them having a Christian-based background, that was big for him as well. That just shows what type of kid he is.”
Potts-Heard provided the Cavs with their best three-point shooting threat this past season, something that Heard thinks will make him stand out at the next level.
“We’ll see (if he’s ready),” Heard said. “Most kids aren’t able to shoot the ball the way he can, so we’ll see what happens when he gets there, but I know he’s going to make an impact when he starts playing.”
While he only spent a single season at Cookeville, Potts-Heard says the thing he’ll miss the most is the bond the team built over the season.
“The chemistry we had, it was just fun to play with them,” Potts-Heard said. “What’s next for me, I don’t know, but it’s going to be exciting.”
