"Lionhearted" Senior Signs Off for Chadron State

On Feb. 4, LaVonte Wilson's life changed. That day, amongst family, friends, his coach and athletic director, the Colton High School senior officially signed his letter of intent to play football with Chadron State College, located in Chadron, Nebraska - a hefty 1,200 miles from Wilson's hometown Rialto. Wilson is one of 48 new recruits to the state college's Top 25 Division II football program who signed letters of intent last week, Chadron State head coach Jay Long confirmed with the college newspaper. Known for its rich tradition of playoff appearances and Conference Championships, Wilson will join the football program that includes alumni Don Bebe, who played with the Green Bay Packers during one of their Super Bowl wins, and Danny Woodhead, a San Diego Charger and former player with the New England Patriots. The signing ceremony was the culmination of months of hard work by the Colton High athlete who recruited on his own - sending thousands of emails and making hundreds of phone calls to colleges around the nation before he signed with Chadron State. Colton High School Athletic Director Scott Sunderland said the signing ceremony was a great accomplishment. "It's great anytime we get a student - especially like LaVonte, with his grades and class - to get to go to a college and play sports." With a 3.8 GPA, Wilson holds several honors to his name: he is a four-time Scholar Athlete recipient, was awarded the Offensive Back award in 2011, and in 2014 was given the All Coaches award, won the Second Team All-League award and was a finalist for the California Classic All-Star award. "The (Chadron State) football program has so much history," said Wilson by phone last week. "Speaking with the coaches, they were always really excited when I spoke to them and it made me feel comfortable." Wilson began playing football at the young age of six, eventually making his way through the Bloomington Bruins Jr. All American team. Several of his former junior league playmates have also recently signed letters of intent to play at various colleges, Wilson explained. At Colton High School, head football coach Chris Mailo recognized Wilson's talent and during his freshman year moved him to the varsity league. During the 2014-2015 season alone, Wilson had 39 solo tackles, three force fumbles and three field goal blocks. Only two passes were thrown on Wilson this season, with zero completions. During his sophomore year, Wilson ended his season with injuries that required surgery. During his junior season, Wilson said he doubted his ability to play "at the next level." It was a pep talk from Colton alumni and current San Diego Charger that inspired him, said Wilson. "[He] told me, 'Don't stop playing until your legs can move no longer, no matter how long it takes to get to where you want to be.'" Considered an "athlete," Wilson says he has played several positions during his time in the sport, but spectators are most likely to see him playing defense. Coach Mailo affectionately describes Wilson as "lionhearted," Wilson said, not for his size, but for his heart in the game. "I'm not the biggest guy on the field, although I play like it," said Wilson, who stands 5-foot-9 and at 190 pounds. "There's a quote: 'If size mattered, the elephant would be the king of the jungle.'" As he grew older, Wilson said he learned technique, speed and the strategy of the game, all of which helped him make a childhood dream come true. Standing in the principal's office surrounded by family, coaches and future coaches was an experience Wilson could only describe as "crazy." "That experience was crazy. Since I was little, all my cousins said, 'We're going to make it big!' I was there, doing that signing." Later that same day, Wilson attended IE Sports Net's 2nd Annual Inland Empire National Signing Day event, set to air Feb. 15 on KVMD-TV Channel 23/Los Angeles, said Wilson. "That was really crazy. There were reporters everywhere," Wilson recalled. While a career in football is on his immediate horizon, Wilson continues looking forward. It's his college education he's looking forward to most, he shared. With plans to complete a degree in kinesiology, Wilson wants to use his talents and his knowledge to become a fit trainer. He's also planning on minoring in nutrition, and has dreams of opening a gym where he can play ball with children and young men. "It's a great program, you know? I want to give back," Wilson said.