Greeneville’s Jalen Short got to realize a dream on Thursday afternoon when he signed his letter of intent to join the football program at Tusculum University.
“Few high school athletes get this opportunity and it’s pretty special to me,” Short said. “It’s been my childhood dream to go play at the next level. I’m excited to get to play against better competition and to have a new family.”
Short primarily played along the defensive for the Greene Devils this season and earned All-Region 1-4A honors after making 34 tackles with three tackles for loss, one sack and three quarterback hurries. The Pioneers feel like the 6’7” 280 lb. Short has the prototypical frame to play offensive tackle and will be moving him to the other side of the line scrimmage.
“I’m going to be switching from defense to offense and playing offensive tackle,” Short said. “It’s going to be a switch in mentality. I’ll have to go from trying to get off blocks to not letting defensive linemen get off my blocks to protect ball carriers and quarterbacks.”
Tusculum went 8-3 in 2022, it’s winningest season since 2008, and is just two years removed from a South Atlantic Conference Championship. Short is excited to be going to a program that is on the rise, and felt immediately comfortable with the culture coach Jerry Odom and his staff are creating.
“Culturally, how they talk to their players and how they coach them is something I want to be a part of,” Short said. “A winning culture is always going to draw people in. But not just that, all of the coaches I’ve talked to have had great personalities and made me want to be a part of the program.”
Short is also excited that he gets to stay close to home to play college football with the hometown Pioneers. He is glad his family will still get to watch him play, even when Tusculum goes on the road.
“It’s amazing that I get to stay close to home,” Short said. “They said the furthest they will travel this year will be three hours away. So it’s not too far to go to any games, and it’s pretty special that I will be able to have my family there at my games.”
At Tusculum Short plans to major in Criminal Justice and is interested in pursuing a career with the FBI or a similar agency.
