Wednesday, November 12, 2003

Former Fayette athletes active on college gridiron

By TANI MONIQUE GAAN
Special to The Citizen

Gavin Bourgeois and Reuben Houston, two former high school football standouts from Peachtree City, now have one thing in common: Georgia Tech football.

Reuben Houston began his career at Starr’s Mill high school under coach Mike Earwood. During his tenure as one of the school’s top athletes, Houston picked up numerous awards including the Georgia AAAAA Offensive Player of the Year, and was also named to both the Super Southern 100 and Top 50 in Georgia, and to the All-Southeast Region team by Prep Star. He was also a member of the Starr’s Mill track team and was a two-time state champion in the triple jump.

Houston gives credit to his father and mother, Luther and Pat Houston. “I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for them,” he said. “They brought me up right.”

When juxtaposing high school and college, Houston noted many drastic differences. “In college, you have a choice to go to class, there are some days you just don’t feel like going, but for me, football keeps me going to class.”

Houston further discussed the amount of dedication and focus Georgia Tech football demands. “For me, it is all worth it, it’s all mental,” he said. “My ultimate focus is football, that’s it.”

Although Houston divided his time between football and track for the 2002-2003 season, he has decided to concentrate solely on football for the remainder of his collegiate career.

“I’m completely dedicated to football now; I will not be jumping for Georgia Tech anymore,” he said. “My future plans are to play football professionally so that’s where my focus is.”

While Houston plans to utilize Tech football as a stepping stone to the NFL, Gavin Bourgeois chose to walk on the team his sophomore year and continue playing simply for the love of the game. However, collegiate sports are not all fun and games. Bourgeois graduates this year and reminisced about his overall experience with the football program.

“It’s been a tough couple of years — there was a huge trade-off,” he said. “There were times when I’d call home and tell my mom and dad, ‘I don’t know if I can do this.’ But I have to thank them; they inspired me to continue. If I had to do it all over again I would.”

Bourgeois, a former Sandy Creek player, finds that being part of this team has rewarded him with more than he could ever imagine.

“I’ve made great friends and great memories,” he said. “It is also nice to be looked up to by my fellow classmates. I feel like a mentor.”

In the end, both players find that the decision to continue playing football at the collegiate level is an experience that will stay with them forever.

(Tani Gaan is a graduate of McIntosh High and Oglethorpe University. She competed in athletics at both schools.)

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