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  • Fairview wide receiver Tyler King, seen here in a photo from last season, signed a scholarship offer with Faulkner University Thursday morning in the school library. Amanda Shavers-Davis

    Tyler King

  • Fairview's Tyler King, front and center, signed a scholarship offer with Faulkner University Thursday morning in the school library. The All-State wide receiver is accompanied in the front row by his mother, Tracy King, and father, John King. Standing is Aggies' coach George Redding. Other relatives present for the signing were Linda Suttles, grandmother; Gary Suttles, grandfather; Sue King, grandmother; Billy Fletcher, grandfather; Telia King, step-mother; Rossi King, sister; and Eric King, brother. Rob Ketcham

    Tyler King signs

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February 9, 2012

Fairview WR King signs with Faulkner

By Rob Ketcham The Cullman Times

FAIRVIEW — Tyler King, who shattered Fairview’s receiving records and earned All-State honors this past season, signed a letter of intent with Faulkner University Thursday morning.

“I’m really excited,” said King, who had 1,210 receiving yards in 2011, the state’s second highest total regardless of class. “I love Faulkner. They really fit me with the offense they run.

“They’re a Christian school and a liberal arts school, so I’ll get a good education, too, which really matters.”

The two-sport athlete — he plays basketball, too — officially signed in the school library in front of family, friends, administrators and coaches. A great deal of his teammates were also in attendance, which King was more than grateful for.

“It means the world,” he said. “I may be moving off, but they’re all going to be here. I love every one of ‘em.”

Aggies’ coach George Redding said a few words before King’s big moment and stood close-by as the senior inked his name. The shifty wide receiver was the one who pulled down reception after reception on Friday nights, but King wasn’t about to take all the credit for his prep success.

“None of it would be possible without coach Redding,” he said. “I’m thankful for the system he runs and giving me a chance to play. I wouldn’t ask for any other school than Fairview.”

Redding was overjoyed that King will have the chance to pursue a lifelong dream of playing at the next level, adding that it’s an opportunity most prep football players don’t ever get.

“It’s also exciting for our program, school and community because Tyler represents us in an extraordinary way,” the coach said. “That’s important. Any time you can shed light on what we’re doing here at Fairview in a good way, it goes a long way.”

As proud as Redding is of the wide receiver’s on-field accolades, he couldn’t be more impressed with the way King has carried himself off of it.

“You don’t accomplish things he’s accomplished without being a good football player,” the coach said. “But more importantly, he’s a good person and fantastic leader. He’s done a great job at being a leader within the team, teaching young guys, bringing them along and doing things the right way. That’s far more important than the rest of it.”

Faulkner wide receivers coach Blake Boren, who represented the university at King’s signing, hasn’t spent too much time around the Aggie yet, but he’s already seen enough to know the student-athlete will be a perfect fit in the Eagles’ program.

“He’s the kind of kid we look to identify at Faulkner,” Boren said. “We feel he’s the total package. He’s going to help us from an academic standpoint, he’s going to do the right things from a spiritual standpoint and obviously we’re getting a great football player.

“We’re fired up to have Tyler join our family. We’re expecting big things out of him.”

At 6-foot-1, King is relatively short compared to what most coaches consider a prototypical primary wide receiver. That never kept the wideout from thriving in Fairview’s explosive spread offense, and King doesn’t think it will make much of a difference when he plays in the Eagles’ extremely similar offense, either.

“At Faulkner, they sign a lot of 5’7”-5’8” guys, so they actually consider me kind of a bigger receiver,” King said. “That’s what I really like about them. I’ll really be able to stretch out the field if I build up my speed a little bit.”

Under first-year head coach Brent Barker, who was hired in November, the Eagles will look to rebound from last season’s 3-7 record. With the way Faulkner relies on an aerial attack, Redding is positive King will make an immediate impact.

“He’s going in a fantastic situation with the way they throw the football,” the Aggies’ coach said. “Hopefully he’ll have a jump start on what he’ll need to do with route running and a few other things.

“It’s exciting all the way around. I can’t wait to see him play.”

Rob Ketcham can be reached at 256-734-2131, ext. 257 or at robk@cullmantimes.com.

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