David Nesting Jr. had never heard of Southwest Baptist University before Bearcats running backs coach Frank Halliburton phoned him about two months ago.
David Nesting Jr. had never heard of Southwest Baptist University before Bearcats running backs coach Frank Halliburton phoned him about two months ago.
But as the Honokaa senior started absorbing information about the Division II team in Bolivar, Mo., SBU went from the school Nesting Jr. never heard of to the school that could offer him what he wanted.
Nesting Jr. has signed a National Letter of Intent to play football at SBU, which competes in the 15-school Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association.
“It feels great,” Nesting Jr. said of signing with SBU on April 16. “I can’t wait to get on the field up there.”
Nesting Jr. said SBU will offer him financial aid that will cover about 25 percent of his tuition, and room and board costs.
The National Collegiate Scouting Association, a recruiting agency, made the opportunity possible for Nesting Jr., sending game film of the 5-foot-7, 200-pounder to various schools.
Apparently, the Bearcats liked what they saw, prompting Halliburton’s call. From that point on, Nesting Jr. communicated with assistant defensive line coach Steve Cole, who presented Nesting Jr. an offer two weeks ago.
SBU plans on making the Nesting a linebacker.
“They said they really liked my explosiveness on the field,” Nesting Jr. said. “They liked that I was powerful but I had enough speed to get to the ball.”
A handful of NAIA schools and junior colleges, including Pacific University (Forest Grove, Ore.), the University of Puget Sound (Tacoma, Wash.), College of the Redwoods (Eureka, Calif.) and Peru State College (Peru, Neb.), expressed interest in Nesting Jr. However, none of the schools presented offers.
At SBU, Nesting Jr. will major in exercise science, and he plans on redshirting during his freshman season.
“But if they need me to play right away, I’ll step in,” Nesting Jr. said.
The Bearcats completed their third consecutive winning seasons in 2011, finishing with a record of 6-5.
Nesting Jr. was a three-year starter at Honokaa, where he helped the Dragons win the Big Island Interscholastic Federation Division I football championship in 2009.
During his sophomore and junior seasons, Nesting Jr. spent his time in the trenches, playing guard and defensive tackle. He then played fullback and linebacker during his senior year.
“He was the heart and soul (of the team),” Honokaa coach Bobby Embernate said. “Both sides of the ball, you can depend on him. He never took a down off.”