PC’s Willeford signs with Lyon College
It would be a vast understatement to say that Parkers Chapel's Payton Willeford was a marked man on the football field.
Whether on offense or defense, opposing coaches made it a point to make sure he was accounted for on every snap, but despite that and an injury that he played through all season, Willeford had a productive senior year for the Trojans.
Thanks to that, he will get the opportunity to play at the next level.
On Thursday, Willeford signed with Lyon College.
“From the moment I stepped on campus at Lyon, the coaching staff and their wives made it feel like I was a part of a new family,” Willeford said of signing with Lyon. “Coach (David) Carr, the coach who recruited me, immediately built a strong bond with me. He told me that he knew to offer me because he couldn't get my name out of his head, and that felt like a real sign from God. He is my savior and I would be nothing without him. Also, Lyon has smaller class sizes like Parkers Chapel, and I like being able to have genuine connections with my instructors and classmates.”
In eight games, Willeford had 153 yards and six touchdowns on 35 carries while also catching 16 passes for 136 yards and two scores in the Trojans' first year of playing eight-man football.
Defensively, Willeford racked up 48 tackles.
Although Willeford was a twoway standout for PC, his position in college hasn't been decided on as of yet.
“We have not talked about the specific position that I will play in college, but I am willing to do whatever I need to do to make the team successful,” Willeford said. “I will play offense, defense or special teams. I just want to make the team better.”
When asked if there was any noticeable difference in going from 11-man to eight-man football, Willeford said there was one.
“The most noticeable difference between eight-man football and 11-man football was without a doubt the speed of the game,” Willeford said. “The margin of error felt extremely smaller. A missed assignment in 11-man would result in a first down, but in eightman, it is usually a touchdown. It was a really nice challenge to have and I feel like I learned a lot about open-field tackling.”
Parkers Chapel picked up it's second playoff win back in 2019 against Poyen, but the Trojans have been on a downturn since then, and Willeford hopes that his signing with Lyon can lead to future opportunities for the players returning.
“I really just pray that my signing revives the program at Parkers Chapel,” Willeford said. “We have a great coaching staff and a community who supports us regardless of how things are. I just want the team to have some spirit again because I know a lot of these younger players are more than capable of doing some pretty amazing things. This team and school deserves it.”
Although he is several months away from graduating, Willeford hopes his legacy is similar to that of Caleb Jacobs, who quarterbacked the Trojans to the aforementioned playoff win over Poyen and is now playing collegiately at Arkansas-Monticello.
“I pray that my legacy is modeled after Caleb Jacobs,” Willeford said. “He was a teammate who now plays at UAM. I remember looking up to him and learning so much from him. I have never seen someone outwork him.
“I just hope that I have earned the respect of those younger than me and inspire them to achieve their goals like I have.
“It also feels amazing to have my name on the door of captains and I can't wait to see who else's names will join mine on that door.”
Willeford thanked the school and the community for supporting him and the team during his career at PC.
“I truly thank the school of Parkers Chapel and the community surrounding it for the experience I've been blessed with,” Willeford said.
“It has been a pleasure to play for this school and to represent the blue and white. I pray to be back when I can and continue to be involved in this football program in any way possible. I will never forget how loud the crowd was on Friday nights.”