Upperman’s Braxton Speck Signs Football Scholarship With Maryville College

by Rusty Ellis

BAXTER – Upperman senior Braxton Speck made his commitment to Maryville College football official on Wednesday, as he signed his NLI to join the football program upon graduation.

“I’m feeling good, I’m ready to get down there and get to work,” Speck said. “I really like their coach, he has NFL experience. He played for three different NFL teams and he played for the Tennessee Vols.”

Speck spent most of his career at Tight End for the Bees, as was used as an inline blocker in their run-game. While he excelled at that, he’s excited to get to Maryville where they plan on using him as a receiver and a blocker.

“They said I’m going to be inside the box and outside the box,” Speck said. “I’ll be running posts, outs, corner and drags, and then we’ll be running the ball so that’ll be fun.”

For UHS head coach Adam Caine, a story like Speck’s is a rewarding one for him. Caine says it took him walking away from the game for a bit, before he came back and earned his way onto the field.

“A lot of time nowadays if people don’t play right away, they’re done with it,” Caine said. “I couldn’t be more proud…he was always a fantastic kid and a really good teammate so I didn’t hesitate to bring him back. He paid his dues, he worked his way back. He became a huge part of what we do here on the best team we’ve ever had. That’s the way it should be.”

And Caine believes what people saw on the field on Fridays is just the beginning for Speck.

“He went through the storms and came out on the other side,” Caine said. “I think he’s kind of just scratching the surface, he’s a big-bodied kid and he’s pretty athletic. I think his time here is going to prep him for Maryville.

Like many kids who sign to play at the collegiate level, Speck says he’ll miss the bonds he created with his teammates, and he’s simultaneously looking forward to the future.

“I’m definitely going to miss stepping out on that field on Friday nights with the guys,” Speck said. “I’m definitely looking forward to playing on Saturday nights with my new teammates.”