More mutiltasking in store for Braden Jarvis at Berry

Braden Jarvis has always fostered a dream of being a college athlete. He just needed the right opportunity.

Opportunity recently called and Jarvis answered.

One of Gordon Lee’s newest alumni will indeed be playing at the next level this upcoming school year as he signed his letter of intent to play football for nearby Berry College last Monday afternoon.

The Vikings are coming off their best season in the program’s short history. They went 11-1 in 2017, racking up 400 yards a game and averaging nearly twice as many points (32.4) as they allowed (17.1) as they won the Southern Athletic Association conference championship and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Division III playoffs.

However, Jarvis said he knew he had found a home when he toured the Rome campus.

“Really just visiting the campus was what really sold me,” he explained. “The coaches are all awesome and really friendly and they really convinced me to do it. I just thought it was the right time.”

Jarvis was a Region 6-A North first team pick last fall for the Trojans. The 6-foot-1, 170-pounder rushed 169 times for 1,109 yards and 14 touchdowns, while also doubling as a standout on defense. He was a Class 1A Public All-State honorable mention by the Georgia Sports Writers Association.

“I think he was a little discouraged because coaches would come by and say he wasn’t big enough or whatever, but I think Berry is a great fit for him because he’ll get on the field somewhere,” Gordon Lee head coach Greg Ellis said. “Whether it’s defense or offense, he’s one of the hardest-working kids that we’ve had here. He’s a great kid and they are getting a good one. I’m proud of him.”

Not only a talent on the gridiron, Jarvis was a three-sport star for the Trojans this past school year. He went 43-0 on the wrestling mat to win his first-ever state title in that sport and later set a personal-best of 13-feet to win the state pole vault title with the track team.

“Being a college athlete was always part of the plan, especially after working all these years in a number of sports,” added Jarvis, who will also be a part of the Berry track team. “I knew that if I came out here and did what I had to do, then God would take care of the rest and that’s exactly what happened for me.

“I’m just going to try to bring a really good attitude (to Berry). The (football) team is full of great guys and I just want to come in with the right attitude. I want to win and be a good part of their program.”

Jarvis said he plans to major in mathematics with a minor in computer science.