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Kilgore signs his letter of intent in front of friends, family and peers. BRENDAN KOERNER/Staff
Kilgore signs his letter of intent in front of friends, family and peers. BRENDAN KOERNER/Staff -
Kilgore chose South Carolina over Michigan, Clemson, Tennessee Tech and Oklahoma. BRENDAN KOERNER/Staff
Kilgore chose South Carolina over Michigan, Clemson, Tennessee Tech and Oklahoma. BRENDAN KOERNER/Staff -
Kilgore after signing his letter of intent with his family and his coaches. BRENDAN KOERNER/Staff
Kilgore after signing his letter of intent with his family and his coaches. BRENDAN KOERNER/Staff
Putnam County’s Jalon Kilgore finally put pen to paper earlier today when he officially signed his letter of intent to play football at the University of South Carolina next fall.
The 6-foot-1, 195-pound senior held his ceremony in the high school’s theater where multiple friends, family members and coaches joined to watch Kilgore sign to the Gamecocks.
To start the event, War Eagles’ head coach Shaun Pope opened with an introduction and talked about what Jalon meant to the Putnam community.
“I’m so proud of [Jalon], and we could get into the on-the-field stuff, but it’s bigger than that,” Pope said. “He had a great influence in the locker room and his commitment and work ethic helped those around him. There’s a lot of love in this room, and they’re always welcome back as War Eagles.”
The same commitment and work ethic earned Kilgore a scholarship to Shane Beamer’s Gamecocks. The War Eagle safety helped lead Putnam to the second round of the state playoffs and a nine-win season. Kilgore led the defense in tackles with 71 total on the season.
Kilgore also acted as a utility man for Pope on the offensive side of the ball. He gained over 800 yards of total offense as a wide receiver, running back and quarterback – 551 rushing, 174 passing and 108 receiving.
All of his hard work recently earned Kilgore his fourth recruitment star, according to 247Sports. In the end, Kilgore never strayed from the path and allowed his friends, family and faith to lead the way.
His father, James Kilgore, ended the ceremony by thanking everyone that helped along the way and acknowledged that Putnam County football will continue to produce at a high level.
“We love and appreciate all of you. Keep praying for Jalon and our family, and we will be praying for you,” Kilgore said. “Let’s keep encouraging each other. Putnam County, this is just the start. We’ve done it in the past, and even greater things are coming. We all just have to keep working and dedicating ourselves to perfecting what God has already given us.”