FAIRHOPE, Alabama — Six Fairhope Pirate football players celebrated playing the game at the next level during a National Signing Day ceremony Wednesday at FHS.

Scott Dacus, Lewis Hunter, Robert Leff, Tanner Martin, Kyron Samuels and Alex Sealy were recognized before a large gathering in the library.

Former Fairhope head football coach and athletic director David Faulkner, now the head coach at Enterprise High, spoke about the six players who were transitioning from freshmen to sophomores when he took over the FHS program.

“This is a great day for Fairhope High School as these young men will go on to be outstanding representatives of this school and their community. I know they all worked very hard to get to this point and I’m very proud to have been a part of Fairhope Pirate football with them.”

Faulkner said Samuels plans had changed in a “last-minute” decision move for the former FHS center.

Samuels now plans to attend East Mississippi Community College in the fall before enrolling at Mississippi State University mid-year (Jan. 2013) as part of a recommendation by the MSU coaching staff, Samuels said.

“Mississippi State had recruited me, starting a long time ago and that’s where I really wanted to go,” he said. “But because you can only sign a certain number of players at a position — and they had signed a couple of junior college guys (at center) since then — they didn’t have a spot left for this fall. But they want me and I think this is a great opportunity to take advantage of because I’ll be there, kind of close. I’ll be working to get better and working on getting my education at the same time. East Mississippi (CC) is a football powerhouse and they run a similar (offensive) scheme compared to State and that’s why they wanted me to go there and get a lot reps in under that system. So I like this opportunity and plan to take it and make the most of it.”

Faulkner said he thought it was a good move for his former center.

Offensive lineman Robert Leff, 6-foot-7, 280-pounds signed with Auburn University.

Leff, a lifelong War Eagle fan, had considered an early offer from Southern Mississippi, but reconsidered when Golden Eagles coach Larry Fedora left Hattiesburg. he then jumped at the recent offer to play for the Tigers.

“You can ask anyone,” Leff said. “I have pictures of me rolling the trees at Toomers (Corner) when I was four-years old and me in Auburn baby-clothes. Somehow I just knew I was going to play for Auburn one day.”

 He said he expects to play tackle, but would love the chance to try tight-end.

“Right now, it’s looking like tackle. I’ll try anything though, tight-end looks like fun. Always wanted to try it. But it’s the SEC. The best of the best. I want to contribute any way I can. But the way I see it, if I work hard enough I can beat anybody out and I’m going for a starting position for sure.”

Linebacker Scott Dacus and running back Tanner Martin both signed with Faulkner University in Montgomery and will continue their careers with the Eagles, Faulkner said.

Martin said he liked Faulkner University and head coach Brent Barker. 

“I really like what they are doing up there at Faulkner football-wise and where they are headed,” he said. “They said they want me to run the ball, but also to work me into their passing game too and I like the sound of that. And I believe I will get a good education there.”

Dacus said the campus athletic facilities and the prospect of playing a lot as a freshman helped him decide. 

“They have great new facilities up there and I like the fact that they need defensive help right off the bat. Their defense has been struggling and they said they want me to step up to the plate and fill a defensive need and I want to help them out as soon as I get there.”

A wide receiver, Sealy decided on Morehead State University in Morehead, Kentucky in the Appalachian foothills near Lexington.

“I’m extremely proud of Alex for his hard work and dedication,” Faulkner said. “It certainly all paid off and he’s going to contribute great things to Morehead.”

The Morehead State Eagles football team competes at the I-AA level in the Pioneer Football League.

“I decided Monday night,” Sealy said after considering offers from several other schools. “I decided after the (football) banquet. They have everything I want academically and they have all the programs I’m interested in and I like the football program and I think they can use me right away. So I’m excited about that.”

Receiver, running back, return specialist Lewis Hunter signed with the University of West Alabama in Livingston. 

“They can expect great things from him,” Faulkner said. “I know West Alabama got a steal when they got Lewis Hunter. He had to sit out this past year with an injury but he’s back and ready to go. With his quickness and explosive speed he’ll be a real asset to them.”

Hunter was excited to get the chance to play after the injury.

“It was hard at first, not getting to play my senior year,” he said. “Then it looked like nobody wanted me. I didn’t have anywhere to go. And then they said they had heard about my leg, but they were still interested. They had seen some of my film of me playing my junior year and they like me and they invited me to come up. I liked everybody up there. They were great. They even said, ‘You should be playing at a D-I school somewhere,’ but you know, stuff happens and you have to deal with it. I’m just happy to get this second chance.”

Hunter caught 42 passes for 647 yards and five TDs in 2010.