On Tuesday afternoon, three Southern Wayne student-athletes signed national letters of intent to play at the collegiate level.

Offensive linemen Knowledge Broadie and Isaiah Sharpe will continue their football careers at St. Augustine’s University in Raleigh. At the same time, three-sport athlete Tayvon Callahan will run track at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke.

“It’s pretty good to see Knowledge and Isaiah sign to an HBCU Division II school in St. Augustine. Coach Bowser is a great coach and is doing great things there. To know that they are going somewhere where they’ll be taken care of is very important,” Southern Wayne head football and track coach Ronnie McClary said. “Tayvon is a great kid, and UNC Pembroke got a steal, and in my opinion, Tayvon is a DI athlete.

“UNCP just happened to offer Tayvon early, and he liked the school, the atmosphere, and the coaches, so that’s what he chose to do.”

Broadie and Sharpe’s varsity body-of-work was scripted along the offensive line, where anonymity is a player’s highest compliment. Move cleanly, block well and pick up those around you — that’s life for offensive linemen in the trenches.

Mastery of those concepts takes a mixture of humility and intelligence, something they both know is necessary for them to gain significant playing time at the next level.

Broadie plans to major in biology and wants to become a biology teacher one day, while Sharpe intends to major in engineering.

“I was meeting a lot of people who were going to St. Augustine, and I called them, but I don’t know them on a personal level yet, so to know one of my teammates and closest friends is coming with me feels really good,” Broadie said. “It’s always good to have a familiar face when you’re doing something that’s new.”

Callahan, on the other hand, endured a more high-profile existence throughout his prep career. The speedster played basketball, football and ran track during his time as a Saint.

A multi-time state qualifier, Callahan developed his love of running track over the past four seasons. He runs in plenty of events but said his favorite is 110-meter hurdles.

“My freshman year, I didn’t track seriously, but during my sophomore year, that’s when it all hit me,” Callahan said. “I went to states and placed eighth, and I didn’t want to lose again. I wanted to win, so I started loving track more.”