When the clock on the scoreboard hit 0:00, officially signaling Birmingham Seaholm’s 21-14 loss to Groves on October 24th, it wasn’t just any normal end to a game. Instead, for most of Seaholm’s 22 seniors, it marked an end to their football careers. The dream of playing competitive football, a dream that was fueled by dedication, perseverance, and grueling practices and workouts to reach complete mental and physical preparedness, was over. But for a select few, the dream of playing continues.
Jeremy Altman and Ryan Miner officially signed with Northwood University and Wooster respectively on Wednesday, February 4th for their excellence on the gridiron, joining Adam Fenton and Mitchell Kessell, who both previously committed to Central Michigan and Cincinnati several months ago.
Altman, the former Seaholm inside-linebacker and two time All League player, had to narrow down his options.
“I was recruited by a lot of the Division II schools,” Altman said. “Wayne State, Ferris State, and Saginaw Valley all gave me offers.”
In the end, he settled on Northwood University.
“It was a good fit,” Altman said.
Altman will join the Timberwolves football squad and Head Coach Mike Sullivan in Midland, Michigan that went a disappointing 2-8 this past season, with their only wins coming against Findlay and Tiffin. Despite the record, Altman is optimistic.
“Playing college football is something I’ve always wanted to do,” Altman said. “I hope I can have an impact.”
Not only is Altman satisfied with being blessed with the talent to play football at the collegiate level, receiving a scholarship amidst the turbulent economic times throughout the entire nation also give him a sigh of relief.
“Getting a scholarship was important,” Altman said. “I’m glad my parents won’t have to worry about paying for college.”
Altman will also have the opportunity to play against a familiar face. Former teammate Mark Morrison plays at Grand Valley State University, which, like Northwood, also plays in the GLIAC.
Former Seaholm kicker Ryan Miner will gear up next season for the Wooster Fighting Scots in Wooster, Ohio.
Miner will play under Head Coach Mike Schmitz who is coming off of a very successful 8-2 season, where his team finished second in the NCAC by compiling a 6-1 record in conference play.
“I’m happy to be playing,” Miner said. “But there’s a lot of work ahead of me and I’m looking forward to it.”
With the excitement of sports and the countless hours of practice required to achieve success, it is easy to stray away from the most important job in college: a student. Education, however, played an important role in Miner’s ultimate decision.
“Wooster’s a good academic school,” Miner said. “It’s important to me that I get a good education and without football, I probably wouldn’t have been admitted. That’s really what it came down to.”
Altman and Miner’s former teammate, Tommy Stacy, is excited to see how they fare.
“It’s sweet that both Jeremy [Altman] and Ryan [Miner] have signed to play college football,” Stacy said. “Now we’ve got four guys who are going to play at the next level.”
