When Brian Foster first arrived at Southern Nash, he had a plethora of kids whose best asset was making excuses.

Wednesday he had a plethora of kids – four, to be exact – that signed National Letters of Intent to play college football, all of them picking their schools hoping to replicate the type of program they grew up in at Southern Nash.

Safety Josh Sessoms is headed to N.C. State, running back Tracey Coppedge signed to play at Elon and both running back Terron Huffman and Matt Boswell will play at UNC-Pembroke.

“You want to be in the same type of environment that you were in high school, in the same place,” Sessoms said. “I feel comfortable at N.C. State because there’s a lot of hospitality, the coaches, they treat you good, and the people around there make you want to do great things. The people around here want to make you do great things.”

Sessoms said he plans to major in sports management or go into N.C. State’s First Year Program, a more-directed undecided where a student has a year of general education classes to help them decide their career path.

He picked the Wolfpack over Virginia Tech and East Carolina, and gave Southern Nash’s program credit that he had the opportunity in the first place.

“I think it is the program in this area,” Sessoms said. “We believe in what we do here. That’s what (Foster is) going to keep doing, that’s what we’re going to keep doing, even though we’re moving on.”

He plans to attend Spring practice for N.C. State, for which he has been a fan throughout his school years.

Sessoms already has an important part of attending N.C. State down pat: Distaste for North Carolina.

“I dislike Carolina,” Sessoms said. “I’ve disliked them my whole life. State’s in the heart.”

Coppedge and Huffman, first and second on the school’s alltime leading rushing list, respectively, had more in common than
racking up yardage.

The two close friends were both were told they were too small. They both rose to varsity. They both passed Julius Peppers in rushing yards, and now, they’re both headed to college with scholarships.

“I got a couple inches on (Huffman) – and pounds – but we’re the same person,” Coppedge said. “We push each other. The only reason he got faster was because of me. The only reason I got more heart was because of him.”

Coppedge passed up offers from UNC Charlotte, Norfolk State and Concord to attend Elon, where he will major in exercise science.

Huffman received interest from N.C. Wesleyan, Wingate and Averett, but chose UNC-Pembroke, where he plans to major in criminal justice or athletic training.

The fact that Huffman – all 5-foot-6 of him – is playing football at the next level is a testament to his desire.

When asked about his greatest asset, Sessoms and Coppedge – before Huffman could answer – patted their chests. The kid is all heart.

“If you could put his heart in a lot of people’s bodies, you could make a lot of money,” Foster said. “He’s so unselfish, so caring, always worried about other people, what he can do to help. He’s unbelievable.”

“I’m just glad I got a chance,” Huffman said. “I liked how everybody was. When I went there for my visit ... I just felt comfortable there. The coaches kind of reminded me of here.”

Huffman has something else helping clear his path to the end zone: The 6-foot-7, 320-pound Boswell, who was his left tackle on varsity for two seasons.

Boswell, too, gave credit to Foster and the coaching staff.

“(Foster) said I was big and I needed to put it to good use,” Boswell said. “(He) got me in the weight room, beefed me up a little bit so I could create holes for two boys that can run.”

Boswell is unsure what course of study he will take at UNC-Pembroke.

Southern Nash’s four signees were the most of any school in the Twin Counties.

“If they bust their tail for me, I’ll bust my tail for them,” Foster said. “If that means picking up the phone and hearing 100 ‘No’s’ and one ‘Yes,’ that’s what we’re going to do. ...As long as you get that one ‘Yes,’ it could change your life.

“I don’t want to ever make our kids feel that we’re here just to win a football game. I think you can tell by talking to them that they’ll never feel that way, and I don’t want them to. I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night if I didn’t do what I could for them.”

Nick Piotrowicz can be reached at 407-9952 or at npiotrowicz@rmtelegram.com.