Hammett talks Rice commitment

COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Fresh off of a commitment to Rice University, Nicholas Hammett took part in the Texas State 7 on 7 Tournament and showed off the skills that won him offers from Rice as well as Stanford. During the event, he took the time to talk about his recent commitment.

"I committed to Rice," Hammett said. "I actually made the decision about May but I waited to call them and tell them about it until I checked out some other places. I really like Coach Bailiff and what he tells me he's doing. He's pretty straight forward and I just felt like it was the right thing to do."

Along with the Stanford offer, Hammett was receiving interest from some other major programs. However, he came to realize that he didn't need to search any longer.

"I was talking to Oklahoma State and they told me they were going to wait and watch me play a couple games and I realized that Rice wants me, they know what I can do and it's a fit," he said. "I couldn't find anything wrong with it."

Another big factor for Hammett was the academic environment on the Rice campus.

"Academics was a big one," he said. "And being part of the school. A lot of places they separate the athletes from the school and Rice you're right there with everybody else."

Stanford, Oklahoma State, Baylor and Texas A&M were just a few of the schools that were after the Rockdale standout. However, with the decision behind him, Hammett is anxious to focus on his senior season.

"It feels great," he said. "I don't have to worry about it anymore and I can go play football."