Loss of U.Va. scholarship motivated Grassfield's Harrell

CHESAPEAKE

Two months ago, Seth Harrell was excited to announce his college commitment on Twitter.

"After talking with my family and coaches I've decided to commit to the University of Virginia," Harrell wrote.

But what should have been a memorable moment quickly turned disappointing when the Cavaliers pulled their offer.

Harrell, a Grassfield senior lineman, was devastated.

"He committed to Virginia, but they called and said they were no longer offering," Grassfield coach Martin Asprey said. "He was heartbroken. But I told him, 'For every door that closes, another will open up.' "

And it did for Harrell, who committed to Coastal Carolina this month.

Harrell, 6-foot-3 and 315 pounds, said this week it wasn't easy to recover from losing out on a chance to play at Virginia. It took a long talk with Asprey to get his mind right.

"He told me I could be sad about it or continue working and something will pay off for me," said Harrell, whose team – 3-0 and ranked ninth in South Hampton Roads – plays Friday at No. 6 Indian River (2-1).

Harrell, rated a three-star recruit and the No. 50 player in Virginia by 247Sports, chose the latter with a vengeance. He got into the weight room to get stronger. He also worked on drills to get quicker and faster.

"In practice, I'm going full speed and hitting the drills perfectly," he said. "I want to prove to the other schools that I am the real deal."

Asprey said he's seen a difference in Harrell.

"He's been working hard," Asprey said. "After what he went through, how can that not motivate you?"

Harrell said his mistake during the recruiting process was not going to showcases after his offer came from Virginia. And many schools backed off after his announcement.

"I'm proud that instead of getting sad about it and depressed, I just kept working and working," said Harrell, a track athlete who also plans to compete in the shot put in college. "Now here I am. I'm going to be at Coastal Carolina. That's what I'm really proud about."

Source: Loss of U.Va. scholarship motivated Grassfield's Harrell