EARLY – The District 2-3A Division II Utility Player of the Year in football will have the opportunity to continue his time on the gridiron at the next level, while also serving his country in the process.

During a signing ceremony Wednesday at Early High School, Griffin Cheslock filled out his paperwork to attend the United States Coast Guard Academy.

“It’s the culmination of all the work not only that I put in, but this whole team put in,” Cheslock said of continuing his football career. “Football’s an 11-player game and you can’t do anything by yourself, so I think it’s representative of our program as a whole.”

Football, however, was not the driving motivation in the decision for Cheslock, who also received interested from the Merchant Marines and Air Force.

“It’s a good deal, you get your tuition paid for, but it’s not so much about football for me, it’s more about being able to serve my country,” Cheslock said. “Being able to play football there is an added benefit.”

As a senior, Cheslock rushed for 1,255 yards and 16 touchdowns on 166 carries and also caught eight passes for 54 yards out of the backfield. On defense, he amassed 19 tackles with 2 for loss, 1 sack and 1 interception.

“They’ve showed interested in running back and safety, but as it stands right now I’ll be playing running back,” Cheslock said.

Cheslock arrived in Early prior to his junior year, and in his two seasons the Longhorns tallied a 16-8 record with a pair of bi-district titles.

“Moving in my junior year, it means a lot when a program supports you and puts their faith in you immediately,” Cheslock said. “It says a lot about the Early community as a whole to be able to move in and be treated like family off the bat.”

Early head coach Daniel Price said of Cheslock’s contribution to the program, “Griffin moved in from Brock last year and made a huge impact filling shoes we needed to get filled. He’s been awesome at working his tail off, showing leadership and pursuing his goal of being part of the academy there at the Coast Guard. He’s been unbelievable, fun to be around the last two years, and shows the work ethic you want everybody to have.”

Regarding his goals when he arrives at the Coast Guard Academy, Cheslock said, “It’s academics first and I want to get my degree in mechanical engineering, that’s the biggest thing for me. But you don’t want to go anywhere and not play so off the bat I want to be able to put time in and adapt to the coaching quickly so I can make an impact as fast as I can.”

As for his long-term goals, Cheslock added, “I’m obligated to serve five years, depending on what I do. If I go and fly I’m obligated to serve seven and that’s what I want to do. I want to fly their big carriers and maybe even helicopters, depending on how it shakes out. After that, I want to get into aerospace engineering and work at NASA.”