Glen Rose QB can play at the Division I level. So why haven’t any D1 schools offered?
Glen Rose quarterback Cameron Griffin waited for a Division I scholarship offer that would never come.
The 6-foot-1 senior can make all the throws, setting school records this season with 3,837 yards and 52 touchdowns.
So when Griffin went to visit Division II West Texas A&M, which is 20 minutes outside of Amarillo, he knew he was home.
“I went on Sunday and Monday and just loved the campus, players and coaches,” Griffin said. “The classes are small and they seem to really care about each individual. They push you on and off the field.”
Griffin had a few offers lined up, including Tarleton State, and could compete for the starting job at any of those schools, but it seemed like most D1 programs had their quarterbacks lined up.
“I’m really not sure why those offers didn’t come. Maybe they underestimate 4A football,” he said. “I’m choosing to focus on and appreciate the blessing of having the opportunity to play college football, regardless of what level. If everything works out the way I plan, the D1 schools will eventually see what they missed out on.”
“Can’t figure that one out,” Glen Rose coach Cliff Watkins added. “The crazy stat to me was he only threw five interceptions so he’s a smart guy that can take care of the ball. He knows when and where the ball needs to go and just makes good decisions.”
Growing up in Aledo, a football town, Griffin started on the freshman team in the ninth grade. The Bearcats’ first three wins that year were against Southlake Carroll, Allen and Euless Trinity.
The family moved to North Fort Worth a year later where Griffin enrolled at Haslet Eaton. He started on the junior varsity team, but they moved again, to Glen Rose in the winter of his sophomore season.
“We missed small town USA,” father Kirt said. “I changed jobs and we moved to Glen Rose for the second half of his sophomore year. I felt like that was where God wanted us and it worked out better than we could’ve expected. Cameron loves it and wants to live there after college.”
“Glen Rose is more of a true small town, and that’s what we prefer. It’s basically Glen Rose, Brock and Godley in the area and all you have to do is drive through each town, and you would see that Glen Rose has much more to offer,” Cameron added. “I can’t say that the move hurt my recruitment. I don’t know that for a fact. I can tell you though, that it was the best move I ever made.”
Griffin was voted District MVP and first-team all-state following his record-breaking season. He hurt teams with his feet too, adding 963 yards rushing and 12 TDs.
“Any time you get a new move-in, they have to prove they’re a hard worker and commit to the program and that’s exactly what Cameron did,” Watkins said. “He came in and competed right away.
“He was voted team captain by his teammates so he was a leader for our program. He won 22 games in two years so he’s a proven winner. He wants the ball in crunch time, the ball in his hands because he’ll make the plays when needed.”
“This year was a big difference. Everything slowed down. My first year I was new to the program,” Griffin added. “As a team, we had a great bond. We matured a lot from last year and worked our tails off more than ever.”
Cameron has been playing football since the second grade. Kirt is a former QB too. He played at Longview before playing in college at Tulsa, Louisiana-Monroe, where he played with Philadelphia Eagles coach Doug Pederson, and Central Arkansas. He would later have a stint in the Arena Football League.
“Being a former QB, I know that the X-factor for a quarterback is poise under pressure,” Kirt said. “He used to hate that pressure I put on him, but now he gets it.”
While Griffin didn’t get a D1 offer, he’s happy with where he landed. He’ll sign with West Texas A&M on Feb. 6.
“It just felt like home,” he said. “It has that small town feeling similar to Glen Rose. It felt right. It’s a great program and I’m really excited for the future.”
This story was originally published January 30, 2019 at 1:03 PM.
