Dontae Bull knew Fresno State University would be the right fit for him the moment he visited the NCAA campus in California, so he didn鈥檛 hesitate in putting pen to paper on a football scholarship on national signing day on Wednesday.
鈥淎s soon as I got there I just fell in love with the place, it felt like home to me,鈥� said the graduating Grade 12 Belmont Bulldog, who plans to go into the education program and wants to teach physical education and special education.
鈥淯ltimately, it is a hard decision to make, but my mom [Angela] and I made it together. She felt comfortable in the same place and I fit in with the guys. That was the main thing for me, feeling comfortable and fitting in with the group of guys. I鈥檓 going to be spending the next four or five years with them 鈥� they鈥檙e going to be my guys.鈥�
And that feeling of ease when he visited helped the two decide.
鈥淲e鈥檙e really close, a lot alike 鈥� pretty much the same person, which means sometimes we butt heads, but we get along really well,鈥� Bull said in describing his mom, who raised him as a single parent. 鈥淪he鈥檚 happy and it鈥檚 not too far to go.鈥�
The six-foot-seven, 305-pounder will line up on the offensive line at Fresno State after four successful years at Belmont (both institutions carry the nickname Bulldogs), where he played both sides of the line. Last season, Bull was named the defensive player of the year in sa国际传媒 triple-A high school football, but protecting quarterbacks and opening holes is where he wants to be.
Bull also visited the University of North Dakota and was going to travel to San Diego State last weekend, but he opted out because his mind was made up and he did not want to waste the institution鈥檚 time or money to bring him down.
The University of Maine had also shown interest earlier in the year and Northern Colorado, Arizona, Oregon and Washington State had some contact with him as well, without having anything pan out.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a lot of weight off my shoulders,鈥� Bull said of the decision. 鈥淚鈥檝e been stressing out a lot, with exam week and playing basketball. It鈥檚 nice to finalize the decision and be happy with it.
鈥淚鈥檓 excited,鈥� he said of looking ahead to next school year. 鈥淚 get to go in and fight [for a spot] and see if I get to play. I鈥檓 going to work hard and see if I can get on the field, playing against the best of the best.鈥�
Fresno State travels to Tuscaloosa to face one of the most storied and decorated NCAA teams, the Alabama Crimson Tide, in Week 1 this coming season, then faces the University of Washington in Week 2, for any Islanders wanting to travel down.
鈥淲e鈥檙e obviously very excited about it,鈥� Belmont head coach Alexis Sanschagrin said of the signing. 鈥淢y ultimate goal is to see the kids grow from Grade 9 to Grade 12 and have the best opportunities possible, whatever they may be, and for Dontae this is what it is.鈥�
Over the years, Sanschagrin has watched Bull grow as a person.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 the thing I take the most pride in, yes, we work toward making him be the best football player possible, but we鈥檝e seen Dontae grow into a young man and take more ownership in his goals and where he wants to be and that鈥檚 the most exciting thing for me.
鈥淗e has the size and ability to be a very successful tackle in the NCAA and, who knows, if everything goes well, maybe the CFL or even the NFL. He has the size required for the job.鈥�
EXTRA POINTS: Belmont safety Darien Attridge and linebacker Tanner Hayward have had interest from the University of Saskatchewan and Bishops, respectively, and Sanschagrin believes receivers Brett Milligan and Treshawn Bryden can also play at the U Sports level. 鈥� Mount Douglas products Quinn Jenish and Josh Lucas have had discussions with McGill University and Liviano Canil of Ballenas signed with Simon Fraser University on Wednesday. South Delta linebacker Grant McDonald was the only other sa国际传媒 student to sign with an NCAA school, with Maine.
