BOONE, N.C. — Appalachian State coaches took stock of the situation and determined this walk-on deserved a scholarship.
During a team meeting Monday night, on the fourth day of fall camp, head coach
Eliah Drinkwitz stood in front of the group and praised sophomore defensive lineman
George Blackstock's extra effort before announcing that he'd be on scholarship for the 2019 season.
Teammates rushed toward Blackstock's seat to celebrate the news, and Blackstock took his turn in front of the group a few moments later.
With the departure of 2018 senior captain and all-conference nose tackle
MyQuon Stout, Blackstock is among the defensive linemen competing for important reps in the middle of the Mountaineers' defensive line.
"Regardless if I'm with the 1s or 2s or I'm the last man on the roster, you've got to bring it every single day," Blackstock told the team.
The 6-foot-1, 258-pound Blackstock arrived at Appalachian State following a prep career in which he was a standout football player and wrestler at Eden Morehead High School, which is north of Greensboro, close to the Virginia border. After the Panthers endured a winless season during his senior year of football, he redshirted at App State in 2017 and made a significant impact last year as a redshirt freshman.
Blackstock appeared in 10 games and made nine stops, including three as a key member of the line rotation during a Sun Belt Conference victory against Georgia State.
Despite being at less than 100 percent Monday, Blackstock's determination to continue working hard in practice made a strong impression on his coaches.
"That's the kind of guy I want on my team," Drinkwitz said.
