Sawyer Lovvorn is all smiles as he will continue his football career at MTSU. (Post Photo by Mark McGee)
Sawyer Lovvorn was the driving force for the Cascade backfield during his senior season last fall. (Post File Photo by Chris Siers)
By MARK MCGEE
mmcgee@bedfordcountypost.com
Cascade High School’s Sawyer Lovvorn didn’t need any visits to other schools.
With a 4.0 grade point average and a 34 score on his ACT he didn’t need an athletic scholarship either.
“You don’t see his grades very often,” said Jake Tyre, Sawyer’s former football coach at Cascade. “Every school he talked with said he could come to them on a full academic ride.”
Everything came together for Lovvorn as he signed with the Middle Tennessee State University football program as a “preferred” walk-on. It was the school he wanted to attend, so much so that he turned down athletic scholarships at other schools. He will have enough academic scholarships to guarantee him a free ride through college.
“MTSU has always been the place I wanted to be,” Lovvorn said. “It is only 30 minutes away. I will still be close to my family and friends. I want to be an actuary and not many schools offer that.”
Tyre admits Lovvorn had to explain to him what an actuary does. According to various definitions, “an actuary is a professional with advanced mathematical skills who deals with the measurement and management of risk and uncertainty. The name of the corresponding field is actuarial science which covers rigorous mathematical calculations in areas of life expectancy and life insurance.”
“Sawyer likes math,” Tyre said. “He knows what he wants to do. He has his life figured out.”
Meeting with new MTSU coach Derek Mason helped seal the deal for Lovvorn to attend MTSU.
“Coach Mason is just a great coach,” Lovvorn said. “I’m looking forward to playing for him.”
Lovvorn also plays basketball and baseball at Cascade.
“Sawyer has done a great job here,” Tyre said. “He has played multiple sports and excelled in all of them.
“He is in Fellowship of Christian Athletes, the student council and has been involved in his church and the community. You name it and Sawyer has probably been a part of it. And he has kept his grades up.”
He is a football version of a Swiss Army knife on the football. At 6-foot-1, 215 pounds Lovvorn played several positions at Cascade as a four-year starter. He was an offensive lineman his freshman year, a wing back and tight end his sophomore year, a wing back junior year and a tailback as a senior.
“That shows how smart he is,” Tyre said. “He picks up stuff really quick.”
Tyre says MTSU plans to slot Lovvorn as a tight end, halfback or full back.
“He is a pretty quick guy,” Tyre said. “He will be a little undersized with his weight but like I told the college coaches he has never had the opportunity to dedicate himself to the weight room.
“Coach Mason was very excited to sign him. Sawyer is one of those guys you want to have when you are trying to build a strong program. Guys like him can be those glue guys. With him concentrating just on football the sky is the limit.”
