Telegraph Staff Writer
Bradford High School senior football player Nathaniel Bowlan-Smith has more experience playing the six-man version of the sport, but he’ll get a chance to continue playing 11-man ball, thanks to an offer from Webber International University.
Bowlan-Smith, who announced his college choice during a get-together at his home in Hampton on Jan. 15, received offers from 11 schools in all.
“I never thought I’d actually make it,” he said, adding, “I’m ecstatic.”
Bowlan-Smith, who played center, said people doubted he’d get the chance to play in college because he mostly played six-man ball at Hope Christian Academy. He even had people doubt he’d make an impact during the one season he played at Bradford High School. He started every game during Bradford’s 2021 season with the exception of one, and that was because he was sick the week leading up to the game.
“It’s been a journey,” Bowlan-Smith said. “I had people tell me I probably wouldn’t make it to college (to play).”
The college reveal, which took place at a cookout for family and friends, came courtesy of Bowlan-Smith’s grandmother Tina Hutchins. She was given a sealed envelope, which contained her grandson’s choice.
Before opening the envelope, Hutchins shared some memories of her oldest grandson, including how she wrote a song for him when he was 2 and how he’d always ask her to sing it for him.
“I would sing it (now), but it would probably embarrass him,” Hutchins said.
Hutchins went on to share how her grandson referred to daytime as “sunny time” and nighttime as “moony time.” When she said he enjoyed playing with Tupperware in the bathtub, Bowlan-Smith cut in and said, “All right.”
As everyone laughed, Bowlan-Smith’s father, Will Smith, said to Hutchins, “You had one job. Read the letter.”
Hutchins said though she wasn’t a football fan and the fact Bowlan-Smith played it scared her, she was happy for him and the opportunity she had. As she began opening the envelope, she said she just hoped he wasn’t going off to Kansas or Ohio. She was thrilled when she said he was going to Webber.
“Yes. Yes. He’ll be in Florida,” Hutchins said. “I’m so happy.”
Bowlan-Smith said his decision really came down to Webber, Lake Wales’ Warner University and Ohio’s College of Wooster and Defiance College.
“It was a hard decision,” he said. “It took me a lot of praying and a lot of thinking about where I needed to be in my life to pick where I wanted to go. Ultimately, God showed me I needed to go to Webber.”
Webber is located in Babson Park, which is approximately 60 miles southwest of Orlando and 70 miles east of Tampa. Bowlan-Smith liked what he saw and experienced during a couple of visits.
“I went and aw the facilities, saw how they warm up before a game and how they treat their players,” he said. “That was one of the best things. They really treat their football players good.
“The facilities and everything are just nice. It was a great experience. Great people there.”
Though it was his goal to play college ball, he wasn’t certain it could happen. Then Hunter Cornwall, who was a year ahead of him at Hope Christian Academy, signed to play with Judson University in Elgin, Illinois.
“He showed me it was possible, so I was grinding my tail off,” Bowlan-Smith said.
Bowlan-Smith believes what helped him more than anything was having the year of experience at BHS. He credited Assistant Coach Caleb Dukes for helping him transition from playing six-man ball.
“Coach Dukes showed me the stances I needed to get into, where I needed to be on the ball and how to call stuff out,” Bowlan-Smith said. “He really got me physically and mentally ready for college ball.”
He also gave credit to his fellow offensive linemen at BHS: Cole Crosby, Jorden Daniels, Jayden Luna, Elijah Williams and Easton Wynn.
“They really helped me out and showed me the ropes,” Bowlan-Smith said.
Bowlan-Smith said his first offer came from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, which participates in club football.
“I was just like, ‘Wow. I finally did it.’ I was just so happy,” he said, adding that it was a surreal experience once the other offers started coming in.
To put himself in position to have an impact at the next level, Bowlan-Smith said he has to focus on getting stronger and listening to instruction from his coaches.
Stepping onto the field for the first time as a college player is going to be like the experience he had in May 2021.
“I’m probably going to feel the same way as I did that spring game at Bradford, when I finally stepped on that field and looked around and saw the stands filled with people,” Bowlan-Smith said. “It’ll probably be one of the happiest moments of my life.”
