From left, East Limestone players Jeremiah Thomas, Lucas Terry and Ashton Lockett sign letters of intent to play college football Wednesday morning as Indians coach Jeff Pugh looks on. Thomas and Lockett will play at College of the Cumberlands in Williamsburg, Kentucky, while Terry will attend LaGrange College in LaGrange, Georgia.

East Limestone football coach Jeff Pugh has won more than 100 games in his career, but says his proudest moments are when his players are able to parlay their talent into a college education.

Pugh got to experience that again Wednesday morning, as three Indians players signed scholarships to continue their football careers at the next level.

Defensive tackle Jeremiah Thomas and safety Ashton Lockett will play at College of the Cumberlands in Williamsburg, Kentucky, while long snapper Lucas Terry will play at LaGrange College in LaGrange, Georgia.

“Our goal is to get them to be able to further their education,” Pugh said. “We want to make them the best player they can be, and if it works out, they can get an opportunity to go play (in college). I’ve always told the players I’ll do anything in my power to find them a place to play.”

Lockett and Thomas will be teammates at College of the Cumberlands, and both said they are excited about being able to share their college experience.

“That just makes the experience even more beautiful,” Thomas said. “I get to go there and share it with him. I know we’re both going to turn up and do big things there.”

Lockett said he and Thomas would push each other to be the best they can be.

“It’s going to be great chemistry,” he said. “We feed off of each other very well. This is something I’ve dreamed about since I was a little kid, so to be able to have a friend and teammate with me is very special.”

Terry’s road to a college scholarship was circuitous, as long snapper isn’t exactly the most glamorous position on the field. However, after attending several snapping and kicking camps, Terry said he received feedback that told him if he kept working, he could continue playing in college.

“They told me I was good and could probably get a (college) education out of this,” Terry said. “I figured out and worked on certain techniques to improve, and about two months ago (LaGrange) called me and said I had an offer. It was really an unbelievable feeling.

“If you had told me 12 years ago that I would be getting to sign with a college to play for free, I’d have said you were crazy. But it came to reality. I just can’t put it into words.”

Including CJ Yarbrough, who signed with Liberty University during the early signing period in December, four East Limestone players were able to sign college scholarships this year.

“I’m very proud of that, because really that’s my job,” Pugh said. “Our job as coaches is to help these kids have a better life once they leave our school.”