HARDIN - Calhoun receiver Tyler Webster will continue his love of football at St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa.
Webster, a 6-foot, 170-pound player, said he wanted to play football at a small university and St. Ambrose stood out from all of the others he visited. He signed a letter of intent at a ceremony at Calhoun High School on Wednesday with teammates Cody Gilman and Wes Klocke.
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“I am very excited about being able to play in college,” he said. “I tore my ACL in the second game and was out but came back. I postponed surgery until after the season, so I wasn’t 100 percent ready when I came back. I had surgery on the ACL in December. I am doing great and busy in physical therapy. I am getting my range of motion back now and getting to strengthening.”
Webster said he wants pursue being an optometrist after college, so he will take courses along that track, with a biology emphasis at St. Ambrose.
“I am not the biggest, strongest or fastest guy on the field, but have speed and I am working on my strength,” he said. “I loved playing at Calhoun. The coaches are great. I think everybody on the team is like a tight-knit family and the community is great. I grew up in Peoria and came here three or four years ago, but it has been a great experience. I love living here in Calhoun and going to school here.”
The Calhoun senior said he was very inspired by head football coach Aaron Elmore and the people who live in Calhoun County.
“Coach Elmore grew up in Calhoun and was a member of a state championship team,” Webster added. “I learned a lot from him.”
Webster’s hope is to gain 10 pounds through the summer and continue to strengthen his injured leg before he goes away to college.
He said he will have positive memories from his experience at Calhoun playing football and the playoff run this past season.
“I am glad I was able to come back and play in the playoffs,” he said. “I wish some things had gone differently in our last semifinal final game, but overall, it was very fulfilling.”