Strickland discusses his commitment to A-State
Brandon, Mississippi three-star defensive end Kyle Strickland told RedWolfReport.com over the weekend that he was close to committing to Arkansas State, and he made that commitment official Tuesday afternoon when he informed Blake Anderson of his decision.
Strickland, (6-6, 230) chose Arkansas State over his offers from Louisiana-Lafayette, Louisiana-Monroe, Southern Miss, and Virginia.
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He spoke with RedWolfReport.com and spoke about the reason's he decided to go ahead and commit.
"I've just really been thinking a lot about Arkansas State over the past couple of days," said Strickland. "I've been thinking about how it would be a really good place for me, and how it's not too far away from my family."
There were two big factors that stood out to Strickland that also helped him to make his decision.
"The coaches have told me I will get a chance to play as a freshman," he said. "That would be a big accomplishment for me. The coaches all made me feel welcomed even though I haven't met them yet. They have been able to make me feel really good about myself, and I just have a ton of respect for them."
Strickland also said that it helped knowing a former Red Wolf, Demario Davis, is from his hometown and he was able to see the success Davis had at A-State on his way to the NFL.
"It's nice knowing I have high school alumni from home that played there and made it to the NFL," said Strickland. "It is good knowing that Arkansas State can produce NFL players. I hope to be a part of those numbers so I can tell people that I walked those same halls and earned a degree on my way to the NFL. That is what I am shooting for."
He also gave his thoughts on the Red Wolves victory in the GoDaddy bowl.
"It was a close game, but I love playing in close games," he said. "No one really wants to see a blowout. Close games build excitement, and the super stars rise under that pressure, and that is exactly what Arkansas State did."
As noted in our earlier article on Strickland, he had a solid senior season.
"My senior season went well," said Strickland. "I had 82 tackles, five and a half sacks, and I batted down two passes."
He spoke about his goals he has for the remainder of his senior year also.
"I just want to work out hard this summer and get ready to play college football," he said. "I'm going to do a lot more research on Arkansas State and see what they are all about. I want to be on a family oriented team and do well in the classroom and be a proud alumni for my school."
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