-
LCHS football player Aaron Hopkins celebrates another four years of football with his mother (back left) Sally Hopkins, his father (back right) Michael Hopkins and his sister (front right) Kelsey Hopkins during a signing ceremony held at the LCHS auditorium recently.
After months of offers from a plethora of colleges and universities, LCHS football player Aaron Hopkins made his official decision on where he is going to take his talents after he graduates when he signed with Davidson College at a signing ceremony held at the LCHS auditorium on Wednesday, Jan. 29.
“I think it was the best of both worlds,” said Hopkins when explaining why he chose Davidson. “They have Ivy League academics, they’re close to home and they’re a DI football program. So, they have the resources necessary for me to have the best college experience.”
Hopkins’ effort and attitude on the field during his four seasons as part of the LCHS varsity football team is unquestioned, making him a valuable target for a host of college football programs.
The defensive end and tight end gave his all every time he stepped on to the field representing the purple and gold, despite many ups and downs beyond his control.
“What I am most impressed and proud of is the kind of person he is,” said LCHS head football coach Caleb Sorrells. “He has been through multiple coaches and multiple schemes in his time with the team. With as much up and down as he’s seen in his high school career, for him to remain consistent as he has speaks volumes. He isn’t a captain just by title. He’s the kind of person you want to actually be your captain.”
For Hopkins, his all-out effort came from a love for his teammates.
“It’s the team bond,” Hopkins said. “Being out on the field with those 11 guys, it’s like they’re your family.”
And, with as much respect as Sorrells has for Hopkins, Hopkins has just as much respect for the first-year coach.
“That first game under Coach Sorrells is the one thing I’ll never forget about my time with the Lumpkin football team,” Hopkins said. “It wasn’t what we were looking for, but I think it made us a lot closer as a team because he made us realize where we were and what we needed to do and had to do. And, even though the season didn’t go the way we wanted, it was an amazing experience. Coach Sorrells is a great coach and I really liked learning from him.”
Along with hoping to make an immediate impact when he joins the Wildcats after graduation, Hopkins also plans on majoring in biology in the pre-med track with an eye towards becoming a sports physician.
And, Hopkins also hopes that he has left a legacy that will have people looking back fondly at him and his time at LCHS.
“I want people to remember me as an all-around good person,” Hopkins said. “I always try to be kind to people. And, on the football field, I want to be remembered for being the guy that never gave up and kept fighting.”
One thing is for sure, with his talent, strong character and all-out effort, Davidson College in North Carolina will be getting one of the best football players the state of Georgia has produced.
“I am so happy for him to be able to take what he does on the field and turn that into a top notch education,” Sorrells said. “I expect him to change the world and make it a better place. I just hope that our young guys can look at Hopkins and mirror themselves after him.”