Hahnville’s Ricky Preston signs with the Green Wave

Hahnville senior receiver Ricky Preston will continue his football career after signing with Tulane University.

Preston has been working these past months on getting his ACT test scores and GPA in line to qualify for a Division 1 program.

Until recently, Preston was under the impression he’d have to go the JUCO route, which he said was kind of a depressing thought.

Preston is considered a three star prospect by ESPN and 247Sports and a two star prospect by Rivals.Hahnville assistant head football Coach Mike Silva said he believes it was Hahnville’s academic coach, Denyse Keller, who got Preston in line with his grades.

“She is the reason he’s going,” Silva said. “She has the time, full-time, to give these kids what they need to achieve in the classroom.

She’s every bit as important to this program as any of the athletic coaches.” Preston agrees.

“She’s an absolutely fantastic person,” he said. “She really motivated me  to learn what I needed to improve my grades.  She really kept on top of me.”

Asked if he felt he owed her a lot, his answer was direct and simple.

“Yes sir.  I do,” he said.

Keller said she felt it was also Mark Kleinpeter, a math teacher and football/track coach who mentored Preston with his senior project, it truly made a difference, along with Preston’s hard work.

“He just needed some guidance to do well,” Keller said.

“With Ricky, he just needed to believe in himself, he needed to get his confidence up to achieve his goals.

I’m very proud of him. He never gave up trying to balance his athletics with his schoolwork.”

Preston was a three-sport athlete at Hahnville playing football, basketball and running track.

Preston paid an unofficial visit to Tulane the day before he signed and he said Green Wave head coach Curtis Johnson offered him a full scholarship on the spot.

Tulane, along with TCU and Washington State, has been checking in with Hahnville to keep tabs on Preston and his grades in the hopes of snapping him up as a late qualifier.

“He told me I could be a big part of their offense and with the kick return team,” Preston said of Tulane’s Johnson.Preston said going to visit Tulane was overwhelming.

“It’s definitely a beautiful place,” Preston said. “I don’t know how to fully express how I feel. I’m so excited this is my future.”

Preston said it’s not just about the looks of the place but what it means for his future. He said he naturally wants to play in the NFL, but knows he better have a backup plan just in case.

“I want to study sports medicine,” he said. “Just so if I can’t play someday, I’ll at least be able to stay close to it.”

Preston said he knows the university is big on education and his family wants him to take full advantage of that. Hahnville head football coach Nick Saltaformaggio couldn’t be happier for his star wide receiver, and thinks Tulane is getting a very good football player.

“I think Tulane is getting a talented young man who is all NFL in a high school body,” he said.

 

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