Middies’ Calhoun will continue grid career at Eastern Michigan

Vincent Calhoun is headed to the Mid-American Conference.

The Middletown High School senior signed a national letter of intent with the Eastern Michigan University football program Wednesday and plans to major in business at the Ypsilanti, Mich., school.

RELATED: List of area signees

RELATED: Ohio State's class ranked No. 2 on eve of Signing Day

“That was the school that was giving me the most love, and I went up there and liked it,” Calhoun said. “I met all the players and liked them. I didn’t need to visit anywhere else.”

Calhoun, a 5-foot-11, 175-pound free safety, has been one of the top players in the Greater Miami Conference for the past couple seasons.

He said Division I college football has been a dream of his. He hopes to have a chance to keep playing when his EMU days are done.

“Football is what I want to do with my life,” Calhoun said. “I like to hit. I’m a leader, I’m aggressive, and I don’t underestimate anyone.”

He’ll be joining an Eastern program that’s been in a down cycle for a long time. The Eagles haven’t had a winning season since 1995, when they went 6-5. They’re 7-41 over the last four years.

Chris Creighton is EMU’s head coach. The 2016 campaign will be his third with the Eagles.

“They’ve got the top GPA in the MAC,” Calhoun said of Eastern’s football squad. “The program has been on the down side for a little while, but I feel like our recruiting class that’s coming in is better. I feel like we’re going to pick it up.”

Calhoun is hoping to make an immediate impact in Ypsilanti.

“They don’t want me to redshirt,” he said. “They want me to play right away, and I want to play right away. That was a big reason why I made this decision. There’s a real good chance I’ll be starting.”

Calhoun is playing basketball this winter for the Middies, though he’s been out for several weeks with a knee injury. He hopes to return in time for the Division I tournament.

Middletown football failed to have a winning record during his time at the school. “I expected us to at least go to the playoffs one year I was here. As a team, I wish we could’ve done more,” Calhoun said.

He said his highlight as a Middie was watching Kyle Shouse bank in a last-second 3-pointer to beat Wilmington in a 2014 district basketball final.

About the Author