SOCIAL CIRCLE, Ga. — During an Early Signing Day ceremony held inside Social Circle High School’s media center on Wednesday, Phillip Baynes Jr. made his next step official. 

He signed his national letter of intent to join Northern Illinois’ football program. 

“It feels good signing today,” Baynes said. “The past four years, this is all I’ve been dreaming of.” 

According to Rivals.com, Baynes — though people close to Baynes refer to him as “Petey” —  is a 2-star linebacker who committed to the Huskies on Dec. 4. 

Baynes’ name is now in a unique company. He became one of the few Redskins to sign a Division I football scholarship. 

“It makes me feel good knowing I’m one of the only ones to do that,” Baynes said. “A lot of people just think, ‘Oh, he’s a 6-foot-3 linebacker,” but I had to put in a lot of work.” 

It’s been quite the journey for the senior Redskin. 

Baynes entered the Redskins program from his eighth grade season and, after one year, had a coaching change. Social Circle hired Rob Patton — who is still the current head football coach —  and, for Baynes, the Patton hire did wonders. 

“Coach Patton changed the culture, got us in the weight room and then we took off from there,” Baynes said. 

Not only has Baynes excelled in football, but he’s experienced great success in track and field as well as basketball. 

Last year, he was part of the Redskins’ undefeated regular season that led the boys basketball team to the Final Four. In track, Baynes placed first in the triple jump at the Class A state meet, which was a Social Circle record. 

Baynes put together quite the senior season on the gridiron, too. From his linebacker position, the senior Redskin recorded 51 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks. On offense, he hauled in 14 receptions for 172 yards and one score. 

His senior resume helped earn him Region 5A-Division I Athlete of the Year. 

Baynes’ total body of work also propelled him for the opportunity that awaits him in DeKalb County, Illinois. 

When Baynes arrives on campus in the fall, he plans to major in sports journalism to stay around the game. And, securing a college degree is the real dream for Baynes. 

“[Signing this scholarship] makes everything I’ve been through worth it,” Baynes said. “First year of college is paid for and that’s the goal. The end goal is the NFL, but I want to get a degree, too. Knowing that I don’t have to pay any money while I play the game I love is making me want to work harder.”