Florida RB commits to Northwestern

Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas running back Gerrard Hamlett has pulled the trigger on his college choice.

“I just committed to Northwestern,” he said. “They really had the best situation for me, both as a player and for my education.”

Hamlett (5-10, 180, 4.5) chose the Wildcats over Iowa, Purdue, Indiana and Wake Forest. As a senior, he carried the ball 169 times for 1,005 yards and 12 touchdowns.

So what sold him on Northwestern?

“When I went on my visit, I wasn’t really expecting to like it when I first got there,” he said. “I knew about their academic reputation, and part of me was thinking the players and people up there were going to be kind of geeky, and I didn’t know how I was going to fit in. But when I went around the campus and the town with some of the guys, I found out they were just like me. It really surprised me.

“They have a good offense for a running back there. I also like the coaches and the way they made me feel wanted. They told me I’m coming in as the No. 3 guy on the depth chart, and I’ll have a chance to compete right away. But if I don’t play right away, that’s OK, too. I’m not opposed to redshirting.”

Academically, Hamlett maintains a 3.0 GPA and has scored an 1130 on the SAT.