Champagnat Catholic capped off a championship season last month with the help of recently decommitted Travonte Valentine. Head Coach Mike Tunsil explained Valentine’s impact on the team this season.
“He was the missing piece. He brought everybody’s game up to a higher level and made people around him better,” said Tunsil.
Valentine came into Champagnat with a reputation of being immature, but his coach says he has grown up in a big way over the past few months.
“Off the field, he’s definitely more reliable. He has not missed a day of study hall and he is doing all of the right things that he needs to do so he can graduate and participate as a student-athlete next year. I’m more happy about the way he’s gotten his life together more than really the football part.”
Tunsil says that the recent rumors of Miami coach Al Golden flirting with Penn State are to blame for Valentine’s decommitment.
“From my conversations with him, it was all about the uncertainty with Al Golden. He’s been with Miami from the summer and he definitely wants to be a part of them, then out of the blue you hear the coach is about to do interview with another school so that probably hurt them. He would rather just decommit and sit back to see how everything is before he has to sign anything.”
Is Miami still an option for Valentine?
“I still think they are in the picture. He has to sit down and talk to Coach Golden and Coach Hurlie (Brown) and the rest of the guys so they can get on the same page.”
The mammoth defensive tackle’s decommitment has made waves throughout the country.
“Since he decommited, basically the whole country has called me about him. He proved this week at the Army practices that he was the top D-Tackle in the country and everyone needs a good D-Tackle. I’ve received over 20 calls from colleges from Southern California to South Florida.”
Tunsil has been adamant that Valentine will qualify despite rumors that he won’t.
“That’s the number one thing I want to sure up and it’s amazing to hear all these people say he’s not going to qualify, but nobody has ever seen his transcripts. I’m not going to get on here and say he’s going to qualify if he wasn’t. If he was not going to qualify then I would be contacting JUCOs and Prep Schools. I’m only dealing with 4-year colleges. He is well on pace to qualify.”
The Champanat Head Coach is not sure what Valentine will end up choosing, but is making sure he stays focused.
“I’m just here to support Travonte in anything he does. Everything else is between Coach Golden and him. I just need to help him handle his business in the classroom.”
“He was the missing piece. He brought everybody’s game up to a higher level and made people around him better,” said Tunsil.
Valentine came into Champagnat with a reputation of being immature, but his coach says he has grown up in a big way over the past few months.
“Off the field, he’s definitely more reliable. He has not missed a day of study hall and he is doing all of the right things that he needs to do so he can graduate and participate as a student-athlete next year. I’m more happy about the way he’s gotten his life together more than really the football part.”
Tunsil says that the recent rumors of Miami coach Al Golden flirting with Penn State are to blame for Valentine’s decommitment.
“From my conversations with him, it was all about the uncertainty with Al Golden. He’s been with Miami from the summer and he definitely wants to be a part of them, then out of the blue you hear the coach is about to do interview with another school so that probably hurt them. He would rather just decommit and sit back to see how everything is before he has to sign anything.”
Is Miami still an option for Valentine?
“I still think they are in the picture. He has to sit down and talk to Coach Golden and Coach Hurlie (Brown) and the rest of the guys so they can get on the same page.”
The mammoth defensive tackle’s decommitment has made waves throughout the country.
“Since he decommited, basically the whole country has called me about him. He proved this week at the Army practices that he was the top D-Tackle in the country and everyone needs a good D-Tackle. I’ve received over 20 calls from colleges from Southern California to South Florida.”
Tunsil has been adamant that Valentine will qualify despite rumors that he won’t.
“That’s the number one thing I want to sure up and it’s amazing to hear all these people say he’s not going to qualify, but nobody has ever seen his transcripts. I’m not going to get on here and say he’s going to qualify if he wasn’t. If he was not going to qualify then I would be contacting JUCOs and Prep Schools. I’m only dealing with 4-year colleges. He is well on pace to qualify.”
The Champanat Head Coach is not sure what Valentine will end up choosing, but is making sure he stays focused.
“I’m just here to support Travonte in anything he does. Everything else is between Coach Golden and him. I just need to help him handle his business in the classroom.”
