DHS alum finds new hope to follow in father’s footsteps

After Destrehan High School alumnus Will Sirmon IV was sidelined by a serious shoulder injury at the beginning of his junior year, he thought his longtime hopes to become a third-generation college football player might be seriously compromised, if not outright dashed. Sirmon’s great grandfather and father played at the collegiate level, but this setback seemed likely to derail him.

Instead, opportunities he had never considered came before him — both on and off the field.

Sirmon headed north, where he has enrolled at Phillips Academy-Andover in Massachusetts, an independent boarding high school with a post-graduate program that accepts 30 to 35 new students who enroll as one-year seniors. Though Sirmon graduated from DHS in May, the program allowed him the chance to not only attend the school, but also gave him a fifth-year eligibility to play football.

Sirmon learned of the program through a family friend who attended another school offering post-graduate enrollment.

“It’s really only offered up here in New England,” he said. “It’s a year for people to get their grades up, another year to get their play on film.”

The entire package was attractive to Sirmon, whose injured shoulder curbed his playing time and ability to get noticed by scouts at the next level. His father, Will III, noted that his son was diagnosed with two tears in his labrum and a torn bicep in his throwing arm. The odds that he’d even play again were estimated by doctors at 15 percent. Will Sr. credited Dr. Keith Melancon and Dr. Felix Savoie with aiding Will III in his recovery, as well as Bryan Soulie and the staff at River Region Rehab.

“Dr. Savoie said he was shocked Will played quarterback, because he estimated his labrum may have been torn for the previous two years,” Will III said. “He told me my son is one tough guy.”

Will IV returned for his senior season and played multiple positions. His most extended work at quarterback, though, came in relief during the team’s preseason jamboree against eventual Class 4A state champion Lutcher. He led a spirited near comeback in the second half, but the Wildcats fell a few yards short of the win.

“William was behind the curve and didn’t have the chance to really show what he could do after the injury,” his father said. “He really needed an extra year to raise his stock … he wanted to play football in college … what he did against Lutcher made me start to grasp some of the intangibles he had. He’s a special kind of kid.”

Will IV options to play at the next level appeared limited at first.

 “Coming out of high school, I was finding no luck for college but I still wanted to play,” he said. “I was thinking maybe I’d walk on at Northwestern, maybe enroll at a junior college.”

But then an interesting opportunity emerged.

“We learned about it through a friend of a friend,” Will III said. “His son had a son being recruited by a number of Ivy League schools, but they wanted to see more film on him. It was suggested he go to one of these prep schools (and enroll in a post-graduate program) to showcase his talent.”

There were no guarantees, however, when it came to Phillips Academy, a very well-regarded and academically strict institution. Sirmon’s grades at Destrehan were strong enough to qualify him for admission, but there was still a rigorous interview process to undergo to gain entry to the highly reputable school.

Then, there was a sheer numbers game: between 1,500 and 2,500 students applied to participate in post-graduate program, and there are only eight slots allocated to each post-graduate school’s football team. Will IV turned out to be one of those eight and earned a scholarship — while the school doesn’t offer athletic scholarships, it does offer them based on academics and leadership, and athletics can be considered within those parameters. Sirmon currently competes on the football team, but also will run both indoor and outdoor track and field at Phillips.

The athletic opportunities the school provides are only a part of the prize for Will IV.

“It’s very awesome. Not even just the football aspect, but the academics at a place like this,” he said. “Coming here really opened up a lot for me. Academics are a very big deal here and you realize quickly you’re gonna have to work. But, a degree from this place really means something. I don’t think I’ve ever been so motivated or worked so hard in my life.”

Indeed, he’s drawn some attention already from Ivy League schools like Dartmouth and Brown, among others.

“When I went up there and saw just how many famous alumni went there,” Will III said. “George Bush and George W. Bush went there. John F. Kennedy Jr. went there. Humphrey Bogart, Jack Lemmon, Bill Belichick … it’s pretty amazing. The school is very highly regarded … we’re very blessed.

“The real world potential this brings him, the contacts he’ll make, the people he’ll meet, it’s all very exciting.”

On the field, Will IV has been a jack-of-all-trades for Phillips Academy. He’s spent time at receiver, defensive back and quarterback. He’s also punted. His versatility isn’t likely a surprise to those familiar with his role at Destrehan, where Sirmon played multiple positions.

“I’m just trying to get as much playing time (at Phillips as I can),” Will IV said. “A couple of schools are looking at me as a quarterback, but others are mainly just looking at me as an athlete. Whatever they ask me to do, I feel like I can get it done.”

His playing time at quarterback is growing, and last week he served as the team’s primary option there, his team utilizing him as a runner in a zone-read system.

The competition is fierce. Will IV noted each team in Phillips’ league has eight or nine post-graduate players, all hungry to earn opportunities at the next level.

“(The competition) is pretty rough,” Will IV admitted. “But all of us have kind of formed a bond because we’re all up here for the same reason and have shared goals.”

And it almost didn’t happen.

His father has complete faith that he’ll make good on this chance. Will IV has maintained a high GPA there so far, something he attributed to his son’s strong faith, work ethic, and mental toughness.

“We’re kind of using athletics as the window to getting an unbelievable education,” Will III said. “I don’t know why we don’t do it here, I think it’s an excellent idea. People thought we were crazy when we first started looking into it, because it’s not something we have here in the South. I hope people hear about this and if they’re in a similar situation, explore what really is a tremendous opportunity.”

 

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