CINCINNATI — Woodward High School senior Joe Leonard hadn't considered playing college football prior to this summer.
That all changed a few weeks ago when he took a memorable seven-day college campus tour through eight states and an estimated 2,000 miles on the road with eight Woodward teammates and three coaches.
"It kind of opened my mind a little bit," Leonard said. "I saw all of the opportunities. It brought me closer to my teammates."
Leonard, who can play the tight end, wide receiver quarterback positions, was one of three Woodward football players to receive scholarship offers during the June 17-25 trip which started at Wake Forest after the commute from Bond Hill.
Leonard joyfully shared the news of his scholarship offer with his grandmother who couldn't be happier to hear about the opportunity. The recognition went to other players, too.
Junior lineman Kevin Jeter received a scholarship offer from Alabama A&M on June 25. Junior defensive back Donte Ferrell received scholarship offers from Miles College and the University of Memphis.
Six juniors, two seniors and a sophomore were part of the Woodward tour which visited multiple Historically Black Colleges and Universities; the business trip went beyond football, it was about life.
Woodward head coach Jeremy Pflug selected the players in order to help forge leadership skills and an example to the younger players in the program in his first season as head coach of the Cincinnati Metro Athletic Conference program.
"When I took the job I knew the talent was there," Pflug said. "(The college tour) was an opportunity for the kids to believe in themselves."
Pflug, defensive line coach Steve Pollard and linebackers coach Terrence Booker drove two sport-utility vehicles that included nine student-athletes with visits that included camps at Wake Forest, South Carolina, South Carolina State, Albany State, Florida A&M, Alabama and Alabama A&M.
The coaches and players saw Alabama coach Nick Saban speak at a Crimson Tide camp.
Players and coaches saw the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico. They learned about Martin Luther King Jr. and civil rights history at Miles College in Fairfield, Alabama.
They also built relationships with college coaches and a trust within the Bulldogs team that will carry over to the season and beyond.
"It was one of the experiences I will never forget," Pflug said.
Woodward athletic director Jabreel Moton said a few players had never been outside of Ohio prior last month.
The trip also showed the importance of academics and opportunities beyond high school for the student-athletes. Woodward plans to do a similar tour in 2023.
"It was just huge for our program and our kids," Moton said.
