Patriot pair signs with Miles College

Linden High saw two of its players sign with Miles College Wednesday morning during National Signing Day.

Linebacker Chris Rogers and safety Kynard Craig will be joining the Golden Bears after turning in stellar seasons for the Patriots in 2013.

“They want me to play strong safety,” Craig, a 6-4, 175-pound All-State selection said. “I felt like it was a good opportunity for me to play football again.”

“I think they are going to get a long, rangy guy. Everybody is looking for that these days,” Linden head coach Andro Williams said of Craig. “They want a long, rangy guy that can run. Kynard showed that he can play some different areas.”

Craig transferred to Linden during his sophomore year and has shown drastic improvement under the tutelage of Williams.

“He has improved tremendously. He got in the weight room and got stronger,” Williams said. “His ball skills got better. Anytime you get stronger, you’re able to run a little bit faster.”

Craig had 74 tackles and four interceptions for the Patriots in 2013 while returning two his picks for touchdowns.

In Rogers, Miles College has landed a four-year starter whose etched his reputation in stone as a physical force.

“Everybody loves his physicality. They know they’re getting a physical football player,” Williams said of Rogers. “A lot of people wanted to talk about putting him on the defensive line. They think he is going to get bigger. He’ll dictate that according to how he controls his body. He’s going to put on some weight. People miss out on his speed as far as what he can bring to the table. He’s got good speed. He’s going to be able to play downhill and do what he’s got to do there.”

Rogers chose Miles over UWA and others in part because of how he will be utilized with the Golden Bears.

“They said they are going to keep me in the middle,” Rogers said of retaining his middle linebacker role. “It means a lot. It means that I have another chance to play ball. I can do what I love to do and that’s play football.”