LAKELAND – One of Lakeland’s own is set to become a Division I athlete.

After much debate, Lanier County running back Jaylon Calhoun signed his college letter of intent with Appalachian State University Tuesday morning.

As Calhoun thanked God, his family and the Lanier County coaching staff, he broke down into tears – realizing the accomplishment of signing a Division I scholarship coming from a small school in his hometown.

“It means the world to me because I’ve worked so hard for this moment and I just knew it was coming,” Calhoun said. “We’re pushing forward. I’m just setting up the kids behind me to progress and get offers and just do what I do.”

As he becomes a Mountaineer, Calhoun plans to major in engineering.

“Appalachian State had a great atmosphere – the coaches, it’s a college town and the resources and just everything about it. App State was a perfect fit for me,” Calhoun said. “I feel like I’ll fit in perfect. They run the ball a lot and that’s what I need.”

For the third consecutive year, Lanier County head football coach Kurt Williams is sending a player to the college level.

Fresh off of leading the Bulldogs to a 6-6 season – their best season in program history – Williams relishes the opportunity to send his players to college.

“It’s always one of my favorite days of the year – seeing kids reach their dream,” Williams said, “Obviously, Appalachian State’s a really good school and a really good fit for Jaylon. We’re excited to see him succeed and see how he develops in the future.”

Calhoun played running back and free safety for the Bulldogs, where he thrived between the tackles and catching passes from the backfield. The 6-foot-1, 185-pound senior had 232 carries for 1,110 yards with nine touchdowns at running back while also leading the team in receiving with 17 catches for 420 yards and four more touchdowns.

Defensively, Calhoun recorded 43 total tackles, four tackles for loss, a sack and an interception as he helped lead the Bulldogs to their first playoff win in school history this past season.

“I think he’s got elite speed,” Williams said when asked what makes Calhoun such a special prospect. “His best football is still ahead of him. He’s big. He’s fast. He’s got a lot of room to add weight. I think he’s 185 and I think he’s probably able to carry 215 without losing his speed. He’s going to a really great program so we’re excited for him.”

For Williams, having a Lakeland native like Calhoun go Division I is monumental for his football program and for future generations of Bulldogs.

Following the early signing day ceremony, Williams spoke about Calhoun’s impact and the bright future he foresees for Bulldog football.

“Him being from Lakeland makes it special because we’re in our 25th year of football and when I got here, people didn’t care about playing football,” Williams said. “A football could be laying on the ground right here and nobody would pick it up. We were definitely a basketball school, but now, seeing a kid reach the D-1 level from Lakeland, allows kids to see, ‘Man, I can do that too.’ We’ve really got some good young kids coming. We’re coming off our best season in school history, first playoff win with 90% of our roster coming back so we’re excited.”