Scott Nickerson
Elmore Autauga News, Photos from Jennifer Morgan
Prattville High School Senior Garrett Wilemon knew he wanted to play college football after attending games in Oxford, Mississippi as a kid, to watch his family’s favorite team, the Ole Miss Rebels. “My family are diehard Ole Miss fans, and I will never forget high fiving the players as they walked through the Grove. I wanted to know what it was like walking and high fiving the younger kids,” Wilemon said.
The Prattville senior will get to experience life as a college football player next season when he suits up for the Alabama State Hornets. Wilemon signed a football scholarship with ASU in February and is actively preparing for college football. “Since the start of the New Year, I get up every morning Monday through Friday at 4:30 a.m. I alternate my days working out upper body and lower body. It feels tougher working out on your own, but it’s all about the mentality when you get up and know what you are working out for,”Wilemon said.
Wilemon fell in love with the game of football when he started playing in the 3rd grade, and eventually made the team for the Prattville Lions. Playing a position that requires toughness, Wilemon displayed that mindset by playing every game for the Lions as a senior while suffering a labrum tear. His favorite memory of his high school career came in his junior season against Stanhope Elmore, when the Lions traveled to Millbrook to face their rivals.
“The whole town showed up to support us in enemy territory as we beat them 49-10. Games are always better against the rivals. We made sure that the ball was passed around to score all 49 of those points, and our defense played an absolutely great game covering the field and making sure no one was getting anywhere. I enjoyed being able to start at center and long snap every ball that game,”Wilemon said.
The group of offensive linemen at Prattville High School also enjoyed a close brotherhood. “We were tight, and we are there for each other through everything,” said Wilemon. “We had a tradition during the season that every Thursday night, we would all meet up at Buffalo Wild Wings and enjoy fellowship with each other. This was a one-of-a-kind group.”
Wilemon visited several different colleges during the recruitment process but acknowledges that there are highs and lows. “College recruiting is a stressful season in life. One day you feel on top of the world because you get a visit to a Division One school, the next day you’ll never know who is interested or who isn’t. The one thing I will say is keep being persistent, contacting coaches and producing good film every game. Communication and exposure are key to finding a college,” Wilemon said.
Alabama State University stayed in contact with Wilemon since the Spring of 2023. The Special Teams Coordinator at ASU, Coach Gresham, would come to time Wilemon’s snaps. “As the season continued, I was then invited to the Turkey Day Classic. I was allowed to be on the field and to get a close up of what my future was going to be like as a Hornet. In February, I was invited to visit the school and they offered. The biggest impact that made me decide to sign is the coaches. The attitude and mindset of Head Coach Eddie Robinson, and the other staff, truly bring a mindset I would love to follow for the next four years of my life,” Wilemon said.
Wilemon’s goals for his freshman season are simple: get stronger, snap faster, and be named a starter.
He plans to major in Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Services and become a Physical Therapist after graduation.
