Huntingdon College has proved a nesting ground for Fort Dale Academy Eagles migrating to collegiate football, and Monday morning’s latest signee proved no different.

Fort Dale Academy senior Reed Crosby is the latest Eagle to sign a letter of intent to hit the gridiron in the fall as a member of the Huntingdon Hawks football team.

Crosby joins fellow FDA senior Stephen Hartley as the newest additions to the team alongside FDA alumnus Chip Taylor.

Crosby, who’s been friends with Hartley for the past seven years, said that having a familiar face or two made all the difference.

“I didn’t want to go far away from home,” Crosby said. “And when I went to visit, it felt like that would be the place for me to go.  And having a friend going was a big deal to me.

“It’s one of the smaller schools.  I didn’t want to go into the bigger colleges.  I think there are about 1,100 students there, so I felt like that would be a perfect fit for me instead of going off somewhere really big.  And I really like the football program there, too.”

Not many high school players matched up to Crosby’s 6-foot-5, 270-pound frame, though that discrepancy will likely shrink at the collegiate level of play.

Despite the learning curve that is sure to come at the next level—or perhaps because of it—Crosby is excited for what the future holds.

“I’m looking forward to it being a challenge,” Crosby said.

“I’m blessed with the opportunity to actually be able to be able to play for four more years.  All my life, it’s been something I’ve thought about doing, and now I’m actually going to do it.  But it’s not going to be easy—it’s going to be tough.”

Crosby served as an offensive guard for the FDA offensive line, where he served ably for all three years of his varsity career, though he’ll likely transition to offensive tackle at Huntingdon.

“Playing in college from high school is going to be a big jump, from all of the plays and schemes,” Crosby said. “It’s going to be a lot more to take in.”

The change in roles could take some getting used to, but it will likely pale in comparison to the jump from high school to college in general.

The biggest adjustment of all might not lie on the gridiron itself, but rather in leaving his home for the past seven or years behind.

“It’s the people I’ll miss most,” Crosby said.

“Coach Speed [Sampley] is like a father figure to us all. If you want help, he’ll help you out.

Everybody you know here is good people.  Every day is going to be different, but I feel like Huntingdon is a lot like Fort Dale.”