Four Enterprise High students sign football scholarships

Brandon Tisdale has been a two-sport Enterprise Wildcat stalwart for a couple of years.
As the successful 2008-09 basketball season winds down, Tisdale and a couple of his Enterprise football teammates will turn their minds and efforts toward college football.
Tisdale, Preston Penn and Bryant McGowan recently signed football grants-in-aid with the University of West Alabama, and will be headed to Livingston in late summer. Tisdale will play cornerback for the Tigers.
“I plan to go to college and play football while studying biology or some sort of medical field,” Tisdale said. “Afterwards, I plan to go to med school.
“I feel I bring a positive attitude to those around me. I also bring leadership and feel that my hard work and dedication will rub off onto others.”
Tisdale, who also excels in the classroom, has been a two-sport mainstay as a senior. But he’s enjoyed an award-winning career much longer than one year.
“In eighth-grade, I was team captain in football and basketball,” he began. “In ninth-grade, I was team captain in both sports and I earned the basketball ‘Mr. Hustle Award.’”
Tisdale lettered in football as a sophomore and junior at Enterprise High,
As a senior, more awards have come his way.
“I lettered in football and was chosen team captain,” Tisdale said. “I won the ‘Defensive Back Award’ and the ‘Overall Defensive Production Award.’ I was (chosen) ‘Player of the Week’ Sept. 5, 2008.”
Tisdale said sports mean more than winning awards.
“To me, sports are opportunities to better myself as a person,” the son of Hubert and Audra Agard explained. “I can influence others in a positive way with my mentality. Sports are also an opportunity o compete and prove myself against difficult and challenging odds.”
Like many a youngster who has donned football gear, Tisdale’s dream job involves his favorite sport.
“My dream job would be to be able to do what I love for a living,” Tisdale said, “which is to play football.”
Tisdale said his hobbies are to “eat, sleep, play football and do homework.”
Barbecue ribs are Tisdale’s favorite food; “Sports Center” is his pick in TV shows; “Friday Night Lights” is his favorite movie; rap and R & B are his picks in music; and Troy Palamalu is his favorite athlete.
“I want to thank my coaches for their commitment, but most importantly, I want to thank my family for their support and encouragement,” Tisdale said. “My parents would have to be my heroes because without them I don’t know how many times I would have given up on everything.
“Thanks to their love, support and encouragement, quitting never crossed my mind.”
Bryant McGowan is one of three 2009 Enterprise High School seniors who recently signed football scholarships with the University of West Alabama.
McGowan, Brandon Tisdale and Preston Penn will continue being teammates but will be Tigers instead of Wildcats in college.
The trio follows 12 other former Wildcats who’ve played their collegiate football in Livingston.
McGowan, the son of Tonja McGowan, plans to become an athletic trainer and, after graduating from EHS in May, his immediate future plans are “playing football and getting a degree.”
McGowan, who said, “I’m a bad man,” explained his athletic background simply.
“I have been playing football since I was 7,” he said. “I lettered all three years playing at the high school. I run track and (have) received awards in that.
“Sports mean a lot to me, and I love playing football.”
The 5’10” 175-pound defensive back said playing in the NFL would be his dream job.
Sports, eating and sleeping are his hobbies.
“I want to thank mom and all my friends, coaches and teammates for helping me get this scholarship,” McGowan said.
“Any Given Sunday” is McGowan’s favorite movie, and hip hop is his choice in music.
God, McGowan said, is his hero.
Preston James Penn Jr. is one of three members of the 2008 Enterprise High School Wildcats recently signed to football scholarships by the University of West Alabama.
Penn, Brandon Tisdale and Bryant McGowan follow the likes of former Wildcats Charlie Abernathy, Bill Whigham, Tank Holland, Jule Boyd, and Justin Jones to Livingston’s UWA campus.
The former Wildcat tight end, while undecided on his major field of study, has a dream job in mind.
“I’d like to get my master’s degree and, hopefully, become a sports agent one day,” the son of Preston Penn Sr. and Gloria Godfrey said.
Penn was a Wildcat who sneaked under the radar. While noted mostly for his blocking, Penn caught crucial, drive-sustaining passes throughout his senior season.
But the 6’2” 220-pounder said his biggest contributions to the team likely went unnoticed by those in the stands.
“I feel that I can motivate my teammates to become better athletes and players,” Penn explained. “I think my joy and happiness bring players to life. That’s what I think makes me unique.”
An award Penn won for his efforts during Enterprise’s recent 7-4 season epitomizes the player he is.
“I’ve been playing football for five years and I played tight end for all my three years at the high school,” he said. “I lettered twice out of those three years, and I won the ‘Blue Collar Award’ this year.”
As he reflected on his years in football, Penn said he’s learned much more than how to play tight end.
“Sports to me are more that a game,” he explained. “Sports are a way of life. Sports teach you discipline and commitment and they bring passion to your life. Sports also keep you out of trouble; sports separate you from just being an ordinary person to being an athlete.”
Penn has a dream job he’d like to one day enjoy.
“My dream job would be to be a sports broadcaster for ESPN,” he said. “I love sports and I love talking. So, that’s a plus. I watch ESPN every night and I watch just about every sport
“So, to me, I think a sports broadcaster would be my dream job.”
Penn said hanging with friends, playing X-box 360, and talking on the phone are his hobbies. Soul food is his favorite, and, naturally, all things ESPN are his choice in TV programming. Penn’s top movie is “300” and Rhythm & Blues and hip hop are his musical preferences. Lebron James is his favorite athlete.
“I would like to thank all my offensive coaches for helping me get this scholarship,” Penn said.
In answer to the question “who is your hero?” Penn had a ready answer.
“Coach (Truett) Chambers has pushed me to become a better player and has taught me to not make excuses,” Penn concluded. “Coach has been through so much in his life, and he keeps on moving and keeps his faith in the Lord.”

Tony Gray has made the most of his senior year at Enterprise High School in both his chosen sports: football and basketball.
Currently, Gray and the rest of the Wildcat basketball team are preparing for a sub-region game later this week. As one of Enterprise’s leading scorers, Gray has been a fixture on the court as first one then another of the starting Wildcat five has been downed by injury or illness.
Regardless of how the 2008-09 basketball season ends, the sport will not be where Gray casts his lot.
Football is where Gray’s future lies; the 6’2” 178-pounder recently signed a football grant-in-aid with Troy University, where he is projected as a defensive back/wide receiver.
Gray’s future plans are simple: “Playing football and getting a degree,” Gray, the son of Ann and Darron Andrews, said of his not-too-distant future. “I’m a nice person; I’m easy to get along with and I like to meet new faces.
“I’m a person that stays out of trouble and I’m straight and honest. I can get the job done.”
Gray, who is part of what Troy coach Larry Blakeney has said is one of the school’s top signing classes, got the job done in quarterbacking the Wildcats to a 7-4 record while passing for more than 1,072 yards and running for 982 more during the 2008 season.
“I’ve received a lot of awards in my football and basketball careers. “My sophomore year, I got the 6th Man Award in basketball,” Gray, said of Enterprise’s dream 30-4 season. “My junior year I got the Rebounding Award.
“My sophomore year in football I lettered, and my junior year I got the Offensive Award for being the leading rusher and passer. My senior year I got the Most Outstanding Offensive Player Award.”
Gray said basketball and football are his hobbies but added they’re more than just something to do in his spare time.
“Sports mean a lot to me,” Gray said. “I enjoy playing and I enjoy being around people who play sports. I would like to play in the NFL one day, so my family wouldn’t have to work again.
“I want to thank all my EHS coaches and the (school) staff for helping me reach my goal of earning a college scholarship,” Gray said, adding that his hero also figured prominently in the bounty he’s reaping from his efforts. “God is my hero!”
Gray, who said chicken is his favorite food, enjoys rap, rhythm & blues, and blues music. Reggie Bush is his favorite athlete; “Hancock” is Gray’s choice in movies; and “The Andy Griffith Show” is his favorite TV program.