With great pride for his school and looking to make the most of his senior year, Malone Howley took a leap of faith to play football for Signal Mountain this past season.
Howley's decision to play under the Friday night lights turned out to be a life-changing choice. Ivy League football programs sought his talents on and off the field, and the big-play 6-foot-4, 175-pound wide receiver recently committed to play for Pennyslvania.
"My dad always told me if I was going to play college athletics to use my sport to get a better education," said Howley, who made a 32 on his ACT and has a cumulative 3.9 grade point average. "At the Ivy League level I can have that. It's amazing to think the first college football game played was between Princeton and Rutgers."
What started out as a challenge simply to work out with the Signal Mountain football team turned into attending spring practices with several basketball teammates from the school, including Owen Honroth and Jarren Radden.
A current four-year varsity basketball starter transitioned seamlessly and raised eyebrows. During a 7-on-7 championship in the summer Howley flashed what he would be able to provide all season for the football Eagles.
A relentless competitor and a leader to rally around emerged.
"Malone was gassed and cramping, but he kept coming on the field," Signal Mountain coach Josh Roberts said. "You could see the fiery competitor come out in him. He battled and made big catches, and the other guys perked up. He was a vocal leader. When he said something, our guys trusted and followed him."
For the most part a picture-perfect story, Howley had to learn how to fight through adversity and pain.
Signal Mountain began the season with four straight losses, and its first-year standout receiver broke a bone in his leg against Whitwell. Despite losing some of his vertical ability after the injury, Howley never missed a game and continued to play both sides of the ball.
The Eagles turned a bleak start into a six-game winning streak to close the regular season. That was a major thrill for all involved in a program that won just three games total in the 2015 and 2016 seasons before Roberts took over.
"He went out there and sacrificed for his school when he didn't have to," Roberts said. "He wasn't going to let his team down. Malone put it all out on the line for us. He forced other guys around him to up their game and work even harder. Despite being new, he was like a seasoned veteran."
One of the top highlights from the season for the Class 3A program came Oct. 19 at Soddy-Daisy, a 5A region champion. Howley reeled in two touchdown passes, including an over-the-shoulder catch in the back right of the end zone, and the Eagles won 14-0.
A consistent nightmare for defensive backs, Howley averaged a whopping 27 yards per catch and a touchdown nearly every two receptions. He finished the season with 22 catches for 598 yards (his season high was 152 yards against Tyner) and 10 touchdowns in 11 games.
"Being a part of the team and building relationships was my favorite part," Howley said. "I loved going to battle with my best friends. It's unreal how much things have changed the last couple of months. I know this is really unique to play just one varsity season of football and go on to play at the next level. I couldn't have done it without my coaches, friends and family."
After specializing on the hardwood his first three prep years, he was rewarded for giving football a shot.
The future NCAA Division I student-athlete plans to be major in business and wants to help bring more championships to the Quakers. He's excited about playing in Philadelphia in the second-largest Ivy League stadium, Franklin Field, which holds close to 53,000.
Being a multisport athlete opened doors he never imagined.
"Signal isn't a huge school, so it is really important for us to all join together to be as strong as we can," Howley said. "Our football team had guys who were baseball players, basketball players and wrestlers. We all went out there to have fun and compete. I love this sport but never dreamed it would take me this far."
Contact Patrick MacCoon at pmaccoon@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on twitter @PMacCoon.