‘I’m ready to get to work.’ Merced football standout makes his college choice official
Merced High senior Desmond Thompson remembers during his freshmen year having to give a report on a college. Wanting to learn more about a Christian school, Thompson chose to research California Lutheran University.
“I learned about their class sizes, the majors they offered and the fact that it was a small school,” Thompson said.
Fast forward three years and Thompson is signing his national letter of intent to play football at California Lutheran University on Thursday in front of the gym at Merced High.
“I’m really excited,” Thompson said. “I’m ready to get to work.”
Thompson was an all-Central California Conference first-team selection at running back this past season for the Bears. He rushed for 1,390 yards and 23 touchdowns his senior year.
Thompson also had interest from Pacific University in Oregon, Wisconsin Lutheran and the University of Puget Sound.
“I will never doubt this young man’s potential as an athlete or a person,” said Merced coach Rob Scheidt, addressing a small gathering of family, friends and teammates. “I think he can play anywhere in the country. I still feel that way. I think Cal Lutheran has a steal on their hands. I can’t wait to see what you do at the next level.”
Thompson was able to make three visits to the Cal Lutheran campus in Thousand Oaks. The coronavirus pandemic made the recruiting process a challenge for Thompson. He had to cancel a recruiting visit to Wisconsin Lutheran in March.
Thursday’s gathering to celebrate Thompson’s signing was held outside so people attending could adhere to social distancing. The Thompson family handed out purple and gold face masks, which are Cal Lutheran’s school colors.
Thompson said the coaching staff at Cal Lutheran originally gave him a reporting date in August, but that has been moved back to September. It may be moved back even further depending on the coronavirus pandemic.
“It’s still up in the air. They’re still talking about it,” said Thompson, who plans to major in communications.
With everything going on, Thompson was grateful for the family, friends, teammates and coaches who showed up to celebrate his moment on Thursday.
“It means a lot,” he said. “These are people I grew up, people I played with and family members who have been there since the beginning.”
