Souderton’s Derek Brown and Andrew Boal were recognized at a special news conference on Feb. 23, 2010, for accepting scholarships to play football at the collegiate level.
Derek Brown – East Stroudsburg University (Football)
Major: Education
Final list of colleges: East Stroudsburg, Bloomsburg, Shippensburg
Reasons for choosing East Stroudsburg: “East Stroudsburg offered me money, and the coaches were really cool and made me feel at home there. My brother is going there, which will make it easier, and a whole bunch of other Souderton guys are going there also.”
How much does it mean to receive a scholarship after a tough start to your senior year? “I appreciate it a lot. I went through a lot, and there were thoughts that I wouldn’t even play in college. Missing half of my senior season really hit home. I never really thought I would be offered any type of money or scholarship, so to have this type of opportunity is really a blessing. I’m looking forward to it, and I can’t wait to get on the field and see what happens. It should be fun.”
Coach Ed Gallagher says: “He unfortunately missed the first four games of our season, but he came back and had over a thousand yards rushing and receiving in the final seven games of the season, which is just a testament to his athletic ability. We did the best we could to get the ball in his hands because he’s just an outstanding athlete. He really did regret missing those first four games, but he made up for it in the games he did play. I think it was a great lesson for him, and hopefully he can avoid that kind of thing in the future and keep things positive and get off on the right foot once he gets to East Stroudsburg.
“He has very good football instincts. I think this year he was underestimated defensively because he actually played hurt almost the entire season. He still made plays, but he wasn’t as physical as he was in years past. What makes him good is he’s very instinctive. He runs to the ball very well, and he has a good combination of strength and speed to go along with his football instincts. He’s a very good football player.”
Andrew Boal – Millersville University (Football)
Major: English/Secondary Education
Final list of colleges: Millersville, American International, Shippensburg
Reasons for choosing Millersville: “Out of everywhere I went, I felt the coach treated me with much more respect at Millersville. I was more than just a football player to him. He actually really cared about me and was going to help me become the best player I could be.”
What was the progression that led to your college scholarship? “I got the nod for the starting job my senior year, and I really worked for that, but Coach Gallagher really did a lot for me. He didn’t stop believing in me, and he really helped me out. I know when the college coaches started coming around, he said, “I got a big guy, and he can play.’ He really gave me the opportunity, and I really appreciate that.
“I started thinking about (playing in college) after the first couple games of the season because I was having pretty good games and dominating some of the players at the high school level. That’s when I really started believing I would have a chance to play at the next level.”
Coach Ed Gallagher says: “He was an offensive tackle for us, and he was a very good program kid. He always had a big frame, but his feet didn’t keep pace with the size he had, so he was mainly a jayvee player in his sophomore and junior years.
“He was given an opportunity to play varsity his senior year. He put a lot of time in during the offseason – he worked hard and took advantage of the opportunity. With his size and the playing time he was able to get as a senior, he was able to turn that into a scholarship. Millersville is very happy to have him and is looking forward to working with him.”
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