COVINGTON, Ga. — Unlike all other Alcovy football players on National Signing Day, Armani Russ signed an academic scholarship to Nova Southeastern University in Florida. 

Russ concluded his football career with the Tigers and helped make history along the way, too. 

At the end of his senior year, Russ earned a spot on the First Team All-Region team as an Inside Linebacker for Region 3-AAAAAA. With that, Russ said he had multiple offers to continue his football career at a Division I level.

On National Signing Day, Russ made the decision to commit to NSU academically because he said he wants to be an example of why the work inside of the classroom is just as important as the work on the field.

“I want to give back,” Russ said. “I want to show people that if you do not make it in football, [if you] keep your grades up and maintain your GPA you will always have options.” 

The work in the classroom paid off, as after finishing the year with a team-leading 3.8 grade point average (GPA), Russ earned himself an academic scholarship at NSU.

“Talking to [Armani], going for academics is almost better than going for the sports,” Alcovy defensive back coach TC Robinson said. “He has more choices. It is different from football where coaches will have to want you [for] you to come to their program. For academics it’s the opposite. These schools want [Armani] because he maintained a high GPA and they will love to have him on their campus.”

With the focus on academics, Russ knows exactly what he wants to do in the years to come as he goes to NSU.

“In two to four years from now I hope to have maintained my high GPA and moved on to medical school,” Russ said.