David Amerson once thought that his athletics future was as a basketball player, but he now will spend his time in college playing for N.C. State's football team.
Amerson, a 6-3, 180-pound safety at Greensboro Dudley, committed yesterday after eliminating Notre Dame.
N.C. State also landed Theo Rich, a 6-2, 225-pound linebacker from Portal (Ga.) High.
Amerson took an official recruiting visit to N.C. State last weekend and attended a 38-31 win over Maryland, and decided then, according to Coach Steve Davis of Dudley.
"He said that he just felt comfortable with it," Davis said. "He was trying to decide where he wanted to go, and I knew it was either N.C. State or Notre Dame. He took an official visit to Notre Dame and he was excited about that, but when he came back this weekend from N.C. State he said it just felt right."
Amerson received scholarship offers from more than 20 programs, among them North Carolina, Wake Forest, Duke, East Carolina, Clemson, South Carolina, Tennessee, Stanford, Kentucky and Texas Tech.
He was ranked the No . 11 senior in the state in the preseason by SuperPrep, a high-school football recruiting magazine. He is N.C. State's 15th commitment and can sign the binding national letter of intent in February when the NCAA's football signing period will begin.
Amerson is a two-year starter and has helped Dudley build a 10-1 record this season heading into Friday's NCHSAA Class 4-A first-round playoffs. He plays receiver on offense. He has 4.5-second speed over 40 yards.
Amerson did not play football at Dudley until his junior season. He reported to football practice as a ninth-grader, stayed briefly and told Davis that he was leaving to concentrate on basketball.
"He came out one day for football and said he felt he wasn't going to get any playing time, so he decided to play basketball," Davis said. "Some of the guys in his class told me he could play (football). They told me he was real good.
"After his sophomore year I saw him down by the cafeteria. I said, ‘Do you remember two years ago when you told me the reason why you weren't playing football?' He said, ‘Yes, Coach, I remember.' I told him I had watched him two years on the basketball team.
"He said, ‘I know what you're saying, Coach. I'll be out for football this spring.'"
In his first season Amerson had 60 tackles and nine interceptions. The Greensboro News & Record named him to its All-Area team in 2008. He was named to the North Carolina Shrine Bowl team this season.
"I think he can be a real good defensive back on that (college) level," Davis said. "He reads plays before they get started. He studies a lot of film to see what the opposition is doing, and he picks up on it. He kind of knows a play is coming before it gets there."
Rich played only his senior season at Portal after transferring from Statesboro (Ga.) High. He has 4.7-second speed in the 40-yard dash.
Rich was offered scholarships by Georgia State and Buffalo, and had been drawing recruiting interest from Purdue. Rich played basketball only in Statesboro as a junior and a sophomore, but did play football as a freshman.
"He's one of those kids who is very quick from side to side and has great closing speed on the quarterback or running back, whoever he's going after," Coach Justin Chester of Portal said. "He's got great football speed."
bcole@wsjournal.com.
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