Jolen Thompson: College Commitment pt. 2

Photo provided by Samuel Rocha.

Photo provided by Samuel Rocha.

Bo Dalrymple, Managing Editor

On the afternoon of March 12, Jolen Thompson announced via Twitter his commitment to play football at Fayetteville State University next year. In his tweet, with the caption “100% COMMITTED”, Thompson posted a personalized message thanking his family, coaches and teachers for all their support.

“I would like to announce that I am 100% committed to Fayetteville State University,” Thompson’s message said. “GO BRONCOS.” 

Alongside the message was a graphic of Thompson in the Fayetteville State University uniform with an electric photoshopped background created by senior RJ Reynolds student Samuel Rocha, with the Instagram handle @heatvisuals.

For the coaching staff at Fayetteville State University, Thompson was a player that they pursued for a variety of reasons.

“We first saw him at a camp, then we saw him when he came up to visit us in a small setting [where we] showed him around campus,” Fayetteville State University Offensive Line Coach Chris Holmes said. “[We are] looking at their character as they are talking to the coaches and [Thompson] had that, he is a good student, has good character and on the film he’s a pretty good player.”

Photo provided by Samuel Rocha.

For the coaching staff at Fayetteville State University, Thompson shows a tremendous amount of potential and skill.

“He is very athletic, that is what really excites me about him,” Holmes said. “As far as his height and size and being athletic, it gives me a really good starting point to work with. I like his explosiveness, he comes off the ball pretty well, I think he is a very good offensive lineman.”  

Not only is the skill that Thompson possesses relevant to the coaches that recruited him, but also the contributions that he will make to the team and greater community.

“At Fayetteville State there is a standard to contribute in the community, in the university and on the field,” Holmes said. “It could be early, it could be late, but he is going to contribute, he’s going to be big for our program.”

For Coach Holmes and the rest of the staff at Fayetteville State University, Thompson is a welcomed addition to the Bronco community. While Thompson and the remainder of athletes recruited from the class of 2021 will be missed, they have left a lasting legacy during their time in black and yellow.