SOCIAL CIRCLE, Ga. — Redskins linebacker Tucker Cleary signed his scholarship to Birmingham Southern recently, continuing his football career at the collegiate level. 

When he inked the deal in the Social Circle High School’s media center, Cleary expressed his confidence in signing to become a Panther. 

“Birmingham Southern felt like a home to me as soon as I got there,” Cleary said. “The people were all super nice and welcoming. The campus gave me a homey feel and I’ve already made friends with a lot of the students and athletes down there.” 

Cleary said when he visited the campus, he fell in love with the size of the school as well as the opportunity to meet the current players and making connections while there. 

Even so, Cleary acknowledged the impact Social Circle has made on him as he prepares for his next step. 

“Social Circle has taught me a lot as the coaches and players motivated me more and more,” Cleary said. “They showed me that if you keep pushing through the bad that there’s a lot of good that will come out in the end. Social Circle was the greatest thing to come to my life.” 

In addition to being a linebacker for the Redskins’ defense, Cleary was a member of the Redskins’ wrestling team, too. Doing so allowed Cleary to be mentored by numerous coaches during his time as a Redskin. 

With that, Cleary recognized all the coaches who have helped him along the way. 

“Coach Patton and them have definitely prepared me for the next level,” Cleary said. “They pushed me like no one else has. They challenged me like no other. They’ve definitely set my mind right better than anyone else.”

Cleary plans to major in exercise science in pursuit of a chiropractic care degree at Birmingham Southern. 

But, departing from the Redskins’ football and wrestling programs comes with a bittersweet feeling for Cleary. 

“I’m going to definitely miss all of the guys and the coaches,” Cleary said. “They’re more than just teammates, they’re all family. We all have close bonds to each other and we all play around and talk like brothers. They’ll forever be brothers to me.”