Senior Christian Singleton will take the next step of his football career from NC’s Emory Sewell football stadium to Western Michigan University’s Waldo Stadium. As one of NC’s finest running backs, Singleton officially signed with Western Michigan University on December 19.

In Singleton’s 7th grade year, his family moved to Kennesaw, where he attended Awtrey Middle School. Singleton’s interest for football began around the age of 10 years old, but basketball stood as his first love.  

“I started playing because all my friends started playing. My mom was like, ‘All your friends play sports, why don’t you go try?’ I was just like ‘Yeah, sure’ and I ended up liking it,” Singleton said.

Singleton’s father, Carlo Singleton, influenced him to begin playing basketball, as Singleton’s father played throughout college and had even obtained an offer to go semi-pro. With such an inspiration, Singleton saw an opportunity to follow in his father’s footsteps and began basketball his freshman year at NC. Though Singleton took on both basketball and football as a new Warrior, he hesitated to keep up with football throughout his high school career.

“I distinctly remember him [Christian] telling me before school ended his 9th grade year that he was not going to play football and just focus on basketball. I told him that was not a good idea because if he didn’t grow anymore, it would be a hard road. I told him to continue to play both. However, Christian’s 10th grade football season, he had a breakout season and decided to hang up his Jordans,” Singleton’s mother, Margaret Singleton, said.

Playing football for nine years now, Singleton’s first interest in the sport sprouted from his friends’ participation in a variety of activities. Singleton’s mother saw this as an opportunity for Singleton to become involved in a sport and encouraged him to go for it.

Throughout Singleton’s high school and football career, he faced challenges regarding his motivation and prioritization. As Singleton began playing at a competitive level, keeping his priorities straight became a necessity.

Singleton’s parents made it a requirement for him to receive a full-ride academic or athletics scholarship. To try to reach this goal, Singleton faced internal struggles as he strived for greatness on and off the field.

“Sometimes I feel down. If I feel like I didn’t play the best in football, people would be disappointed in me, and that makes me feel a certain type of way. My mom always tells me she’s proud of me after every game, so I don’t really worry at all,” Singleton said.

To keep himself driven, Singleton constantly surrounds himself with a motivational atmosphere. He considers his family as a massive role in his successes throughout his football career, as well as his strongest support system. Through every game, his mother made it her priority to support her eldest son and lead him through his achievements and challenges.   

“Christian and I have this thing where I call out his name before a game so he knows where I am in the stands, and during the game he always finds a way to wave or smile just to let me know he’s okay. I’ve been his ride or die and I make sure he feels supported and loved regardless of if he makes a touchdown or a tackle. His brothers have rallied around him and built his confidence for the last four years as well,” Margaret Singleton said.

Coach Middleton, one of Singleton’s previous coaches from freshman and sophomore year, helped mold Singleton’s present talents and football abilities. Middleton played in the NFL, and Singleton looked up to him and tried to follow in his footsteps.

“Middleton was like an older brother, best friend, and father figure all rolled into one,” Singleton said.

Singleton’s sophomore year stood out as a memorable breakout regarding his determination and passion for football. An interception against Hillgrove high school ranked as one of Singleton’s exceptional highlights in his 10th grade year, where he ran the ball down to the 20-yard line.

“I remember Chandler Wooten and Jay Erwin came and picked me up and hyped me up because the play before, I had missed the tackle and [Hillgrove] had got it first down and we were on the verge of losing. If they scored, we probably would’ve lost. I remember getting that interception and returning it and scoring. It changed the whole game. That is most definitely my most memorable moment,” Singleton said.

Approaching the end of high school, the thought of becoming a D1 football player never crossed Singleton’s mind. Originally, Singleton saw himself going to college as a regular student and focusing academically on a career. Now, Singleton plans to focus mainly on football through college.

He first planned to attend Georgia State University to play football, but—at the last minute—he switched over to a full-ride scholarship to Western Michigan University.

“I felt like it was a better opportunity for me to pursue what I wanted to do. If I was going to Georgia State, I was going to stay close to home, and I know my mom wanted that for me, but more than anything she wants me to be successful. I felt like I could be more successful changing schools,” Singleton said.

As Singleton’s last semester comes to an end in May, he advances on a new route for his future. Him and his family thank NC for all the opportunities and cannot wait to further his future as he leaves a legacy at NC.

“Take all of the opportunities and pretend everyday is your last. You never know when the opportunities will be gone,” Singleton said.