COVINGTON, Ga. - Diondre Glover Jr. was a standout for the Newton Rams on both sides of the ball this past season and has decided that he will be taking his talents to Savannah State to play for the Tigers.
With the big decision out of the way for the Rams two-way athlete, he said that he is feeling great and after a stressful process, is happy to have this weight lifted off his shoulders.
“It was a lot of weight off my shoulders because I had so many schools hitting me up, but like Missouri and Arkansas had coaches getting fired at the time, so I had some big-time schools coming, but the head coaches were getting fired," Glover said.
Glover mentioned that Albany State and Southeastern Missouri were two schools that remained in his top group until his commitment to Savannah State.
He also said that the vibe that he felt as soon as he walked onto campus was something that stood out to him and set it apart from other schools.
“It felt like home, and I’ve always had a great relationship with the coaches, Coach Russell (Damasi) and coach Johnson, both of the coach (Zach and B.J.) Johnsons. It just gave me a different vibe than every other program," Glover said.
An interesting path led to Glover choosing the Tigers. It all started from a tweet that he sent out while on a visit to another school.
“I guess they never came at me because of the type of offers I had. My first HBCU visit was at FAMU. So I posted on Twitter that I really liked HBCU’s and the vibes, and that’s when they (Savannah State) hit me up and asked if they would have the opportunity for me to come there," Glover said.
From there, the bond only grew over time, and Glover’s official visit on Jan. 18-19 sealed the deal. The Tigers had a huge recruiting advantage with a former Newton Ram, Jeremiah Bundrage, Jr., on the roster
“It was special because my host was Jeremiah Bundrage, so we played together my freshman year when he was a senior. He made it even better, and that really made me feel really at home. The whole team, outside of football, sticks together. The campus was also pretty nice and was bigger than I expected, which was nice," Glover said.
With Bundrage hosting Glover, and showing him what life could be like as a Tiger, Glover clearly seemed to like what he saw.
Glover also said that Bundrage played a huge role in just getting him to make the trip to Savannah State.
“He was one of the major people in this process of getting me down there. Once he found out that I had been contacted by Savannah (State), he was like yeah come check us out. He really was one of the main reasons,” Glover said.
The Newton Rams have always operated as one big family, and Glover stressed the importance of family for him. Having the chance to play at a place where his family could see most of his games was yet another factor for him.
“My family is really excited, and they really loved the visit. It’s close to home so they can come to like every single one of my games, and we don’t play many out of state games, so it’s closer for them. They really loved the environment,” Glover said.
“I am big on family, and I am a family person. My mom has always been at all my games with all my folks, and I wanted them to all see me at the next level doing my thing, so that definitely played a major part.”
With Glover starring on both sides of the ball this past season, there could be questions as to what position he would play at the next level. The Tigers staff has already addressed where they want him, and Glover was more than happy with their decision.
“I’ll be playing receiver, and I’m most definitely excited about that because that’s where I wanted to play in college, so that played a role too. That played a big role,” Glover said.
Glover finished his senior campaign leading the team in receiving yards with 617 and had five touchdowns on 30 receptions. His ability to stretch the field and make big plays was always something that stood out this past season and must be something that caught the eyes of many on the Tigers staff.
He complimented Rams’ defensive backs coach Josh Skelton and Rams head coach Camiel Grant Jr. for being there for him and always helping him grow as a player and person.
“He (Grant) has helped me a lot. Mental toughness is basically what he taught me and don’t break down when things go wrong you have to keep pushing, keep fighting, so I really thank coach Grant a lot. Coach Grant is one of the most intelligent men you can talk to, and like anything you are going through, just talk to Grant, and he’ll help get you through it," Glover said.
“Coach (Josh) Skelton changed my life, man. He told me it would be stressful, but just follow God, and he’ll lead you the way."
Skelton had just as much praise for Glover and the impact that he has had on his life as well.
“Diondre Glover has impacted my life as much as I have his life. He was a joy to coach because of how he came to work every day. He was one of the most athletic and hard-working kids I’ve coached,” Skelton said.
“He can bring his playmaking ability and competitive edge to the Tigers. He’s a winner, and I’m happy for him as well as the Tigers.”
Glover maintained a team-first mindset when asked what he hopes to do once he gets on campus, and that should have the Tigers staff more than happy to have him on their team.
“Most definitely, we want to change the culture a lot. We’re trying to win the natty this year,” Glover said.
“I’m just trying to get on the field and help my team win. Basically, I just want to play my role and help my team out; however, I can.”
Glover said he intends on studying business at Savannah State and hopes to start his own business in the future with his degree. With college just around the corner for this talented athlete, Glover said right now that he is just trying to enjoy these waning high school moments as college will be here before he knows it.
“It’s very exciting because I leave in the summer, so it’s like, dang, college is really here. I’m just trying to cherish these moments in high school because it’s going to fly by, and then next thing you know, I’m at college on the team putting in work.”
