West Side grad Black signs to play at Hampton

Jonathan Black always had Division I football aspirations, even after he left to play for St. Augustine College in Raleigh, N.C., a Division II school.

Black, a 2011 West Side graduate, decided to take a chance and leave St. Augustine after one season.

He joined Antonio Smothers, his West Side teammate, at Scottsdale Community college for a year. The move paid off. On Wednesday, Black signed a letter of intent to play at Division I Hampton College in Hampton, Va. The Pirates play in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.

Black, a 6-5, 295-pound defensive tackle, said Hampton was the only Division I school to offer him a scholarship.

He’ll play for first-year coach Connell Maynor.

“I really liked the coach,” he said. “He has a stellar reputation.”

Black always believed he was a Division I player but a mishap his sophomore year in high school cost him. He tore up his knee playing AAU basketball in the summer and he missed his junior season.

The set back cost him valuable exposure time, ultimately sending him to St. Augustine.

“I had a really good year when I was a sophomore,” he said.

Other Division I signees included Andrean’s Matt DeSomer (Southern Illinois) and Tylor Petkovich (Illinois State). Gelen Robinson of Lake Central signed with Purdue, while West Side’s Lonnie Johnson and Jon Vea’ Johnson signed with Western Michigan and Toledo, respectively. Merrillville’s Ryan Neal signed to play at Southern Illinois. Martayveus Carter of East Chicago will play at Northern Illinois. Nick Bokun of Hobart is going to play at Penn.