Lumpkin quarterback Kirk signs with Sewanee University

For the past three seasons, Tucker Kirk has brought his unique talents to the LCHS football team. From his leadership ability to a powerfully accurate arm, Kirk tried to lay it all out on the gridiron for his teammates and for the glory of his school during his three seasons with the Indians.
Now, the senior quarterback is set to start a new chapter in his football career after committing his talents to Sewanee University at a recent signing ceremony held at the LCHS auditorium.
With a father who played college football, Kirk admits that much of love for the game was something that he was raised into. But, Kirk believes that the camaraderie of being a part of a team is what made him work so hard to become the player he is today.
“My dad played college football, so I guess I was raised into it,” said Kirk. “But, other than that, football pushes you to work harder. There are points in time where you feel like you can’t go anymore, but you look behind you and your teammates are right there. And, those are the guys you are playing for on Friday nights. It’s really more of a teammate thing for me. Getting to bond with all those guys for months and months at a time is something that I’ll never forget, and I’m glad I get to do it for four more years.”
Kirk decided to also take his skills to the Tennessee college, known as the University of the South, based on his initial impression of the school during his visit to the campus.
“I really like the area of Dahlonega, with its mountainous regions, and the first time I went to Sewanee and got on campus I felt like I had never left home,” Kirk said. “And, the coaches, you know you can go to visits and sometimes the coaches won’t even know your name, but there were guys who I had never had contact with before calling me by my first name. I was like, ‘wow.’ So, I told my mom that if Sewanne gives me an offer, that’s where I was going to go.”
Kirk is excited about joining the Tigers’ true spread offense and being given the opportunity to show off his arm at the college level.
“One of the things Coach [Travis] Rundle talked about is that I am a throwing quarterback, but that I can also run it if I need to,” Kirk said. “They told me that they were going to let me show off my arm. They’re a true spread offense which is another thing that called to me. It’s a real opportunity to show off what I can do. Running really isn’t my specialty, but if I need to do it I can. Getting to drop back with college offensive linemen is going to be fun. I really like that idea.”
But, as excited as Kirk is about moving to the next level, he knows that winning over his teammates will be his first priority when he joins the team.
“My goal isn’t to get All-Conference, even though that’d be nice, but my goal is to win the team over,” Kirk said. “That’s my goal as soon as I get there; to work hard in the weight room and win over the team because as a quarterback you’ve got to be the leader.”
In his three seasons with the Indians, Kirk was an integral part of Lumpkin’s offense and one of the team’s biggest weapons whether through the air or with his feet. But, when looking back at his time with the Indians, Kirk said it wasn’t personal accolades that he will remember, but rather the fight that his teammates displayed through some tough times with the program.
“Most guys would think of a play,” Kirk said. “If I had to think of a play, it’d be the Philly Special we ran against Fannin this past year. But, my favorite memory of being here is the resilience that everybody showed. That’s something I will always hold dear to my heart. This team pushed through literally everything.”
Kirk plans on studying history while attending Sewanee University with the goal of one day becoming a head coach.
“I wanted to major in history because when I graduate I want to become a head coach,” Kirk said. “I just want to give back to the game of football. Probably before I even played football I wanted to coach it. I would go to my dad’s team’s practices and sometimes almost get run over because I wanted to be in the middle of the drills and tell the players what to do. That’s something I’ve always wanted to do and that’s something no one can every take away from me. That’s my way of giving back to the sport that’s given me so much.”
And, when Kirk departs from Lumpkin County to start his new chapter in life, he hopes that people will remember him more for his character on and off the field instead of just his sports achievements.
“Sports are really something that is the least of my worries when it comes to what I want to be remembered for,” Kirk said. “When we come back together for reunions, I don’t want people to remember me as the guy who went to play college football. I’m not going to the NFL. Four years from now none of that will matter. I want to be known as a really cool guy that tried to treat everyone the way they should have been treated. I want to be remembered as a quality guy and a good person.”
From what LCHS head football coach Caleb Sorrells saw in his one year coaching Kirk, Sorrells believes that Kirk’s quality character on the field and in the classroom is something that sets the quarterback apart from average players.
“What I am most proud of and impressed by is the kind of person he is,” said Sorrells. “He has been through multiple coaches and multiple schemes in his high school career. With as much up and down as he’s seen, for him to remain consistent as he has speaks volumes about his character. He is the kind of player who you truly want to be the leader of your team and who you actually want to be your captain.”
Given Kirk’s talent, work ethic and leadership qualities, the young man should make an immediate impact for the Tigers when he joins the Sewanee University football team after graduation.