Signing Day Is About More Than Just Football

Let's face it.

Football gets the most attention on Signing Day.

The cameras come out.  National networks go into overdrive.  Sports radio hosts talk about little else.

Especially in the South, football is the sport that the highest number of fans seem to care about when high school stars sign scholarships with big-name universities where they hope to make a splash.

But that means student athletes from other sports sometimes get left out of the spotlight.  Those athletes deserve just as much recognition as others for their hard work and determination.

"I want to thank my parents and my family for coming," Morganne Phillips said at a school gathering that most media outlets ignored.  "I want to thank my friends and my classmates."

Phillips, a record-breaking track and field athlete for Shades Valley High School, was signing a lucrative scholarship offer from the University of Kentucky.  She had dozens of schools competing for her skills on the track, but the Wildcats won out.

"It was great for her mom and I for Morganne to receive over $2 million in scholarship offers from some of the largest schools in the country," her father, Van, said.  "And she chose the University of Kentucky to further her education, and we're very proud of her decision."

"I won nine state championships," Morganne said when asked about her record.  "My first championship came in the eighth grade."

More championships and more record-breaking performances are quite possibly in her future.  But she is focused on more than just the track.  She said running has shaped her character in ways that will benefit her in her chosen career.

"I want to become a lawyer," she said.  "So, being a lawyer, you don't want to lose cases, just like I don't want to lose races.  So it helps me to fight to be the best and do whatever I have to do to be the best."

She cited faith and family as helping her get this far.

"Always continue to keep God first," she said.

Across town, at Spain Park High School, another standout athlete had his family by his side.

Michael Johnson signed a golf scholarship with Auburn University as his parents beamed with pride.

"I've been playing since I've been about six, and I've always just loved playing golf," Johnson said.  "It's been a lot of fun getting to where I am."

But there has been heartache, too.

Michael's older brother, Bradley, was another excellent golfer.  He was emerging on the national stage as an exceptional athlete.  But Bradley's ambitions were cut short almost five years ago when he was killed in a car accident.

Michael had Bradley on his mind when he signed his scholarship Wednesday.

"Every day.  Every day, I think about him," Michael said.  "Especially today because he was a bigger Auburn fan than I am, and I know he's going to lead me in the right direction."

Michael's decision to go to Auburn, however, was about more than his brother's love for the school.  Michael sees a bright future for his own talents under Auburn's direction.

"The new coaches are great.  They really know what they're doing," Michael said.  "I love all the guys on the team.  They've got great facilities, and Auburn is a great family."

"Excitement.  Bittersweet.  Tears.  Happy tears," said Michael's mother, Shari.  "So proud for Michael to reach a dream that he's strived for for a long time.  It's wonderful to watch your child reach for a dream that he's earned."

Beyond the headlines about football and recruiting classes are the other athletes with their own stories to tell.  And they are excited to begin a new chapter -- one that will shape their futures and help them fulfill their dreams.