by Rusty Ellis
Clay County senior John Hamilton took the next step in his athletic and academic journey on Monday by signing his NLI to play football at Tennessee Tech upon graduation.
For head coach Bruce Lamb, it’s the culmination of the hard work he’s seen Hamilton put in since he first stepped onto the field at Celina.
“It’s a great day for him and a great day for Clay County football,” Lamb said. “It’s great for him and great that he gets to further his career and play Division I football…John is one of those kids that comes in early and leaves late. He played Right Tackle for three years and then he made himself a Tight End. It all paid off.”
Lamb fully believes that TTU is a great fit for Hamilton, using his relationship with Golden Eagles head coach Dewayne Alexander as a gauge for how successful he believes Hamilton will be at the next level.
“I think he’ll fit in great,” Lamb said. “Coach Alexander was a teammate of mine and is a great coach doing a great job at Tennessee Tech. I’m so happy he’ll be able to play for him because Coach Alexander is a great man…he’s still learning how to be a great tight end, but I think he’ll fit great in their offense.”
It’s a great day for Lamb to celebrate Hamilton and his accomplishments on the field, even knowing it leaves him with a difficult task of replacing him.
“He’s one of those kids that doesn’t say a whole lot, but what he does on the field does all the talking,” Lamb said. “Watching him work hard on the field, it’s always hard to replace that.”