Carroll linebacker Tim McClendon commits to Army
Carroll senior inside linebacker Tim McClendon said it really wasn’t a hard decision.
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McClendon, last year’s leading tackler at Carroll and a second-team Class 5A all-state selection, announced on twitter Tuesday night that he has decided to play college ball at Army. He chose the Black Knights over rival Navy, Samford, Middle Tennessee State and Southern Miss.
“It was an easy decision,” McClendon told the Dothan Eagle shortly after announcing his intention. “My mom always said to go to a school for a good degree and for one that afterwards helps you get a good job, so it was an easy decision. It (Army) is a very prestigious institution. It was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.”
Though his dad served in the National Guard and he had an uncle who was part of the Army, McClendon said those ties were “not a factor” in his decision. He said he based it off a comfort level with Army coaches, led by head coach Jeff Monken.
The Black Knights are coming off an 8-5 season that included a win over North Texas in the Zaxby’s Heart of Dallas Bowl last December. It marked the first time Army had won eight or more games since 1996 and first time it won a bowl game since 2010.
“Just really built good relationships with the coaching staff and they made me feel like family,” McClendon said. “They were in constant contact with me, talking to me and to my parents.
“They play at the highest level. They will play Ohio State and Duke this year. They have a very good football team. Coach Monken has really turned the program around. It was an easy decision because of that.”
Carroll head coach Roger McDonald said McClendon fits in with Army on every level from athletics to academics, but especially in leadership.
“He has started here since the ninth grade,” McDonald said. “He has a lot of ability, lot of character and is very intelligent. When you go to the Army, you are considered one of the future leaders of our country. I want to be behind him because he will be one of our leaders in this country.
“He is the type of kid that epitomizes that program.”
A year ago, McClendon was one of the leaders of a Carroll defense that allowed only 14.2 points a game during a historical 12-1 season. The Eagles, who advanced to the Class 5A state quarterfinals, claimed the most wins in school history and the first undefeated regular season at the school since 1930.
In 13 games, McClendon earned a team-high 118 tackles, averaging 9.1 a game. He also had three tackles for losses, three pass break-ups and two interceptions.
Though he played some defensive end as a sophomore, he was used strictly at inside linebacker last season as a junior. That is a role Army coaches see him in college.
“I am very physical,” McClendon said. “I usually meet the ball carriers at the point of attack. I am very fast. I play well sideline to sideline and can play well in (pass) coverage as I had two interceptions last year.”
The Eagle standout will continue to play inside linebacker this year at Carroll as well as play some tight end and H-back on offense, roles he played a little last year as well.
One of the things McClendon is looking forward to is participating in the historic Army-Navy game, a battle of service academies that has been played 117 times and is the last college football regular-season game played on the second week in December at a neutral site, usually Philadelphia.
“It is definitely the biggest rivalry in college football,” McClendon said after watching last year’s game, a 21-17 Army win that ended a Navy 14-game series winning streak. “No offense to Alabama-Auburn even though I live in this state , or to Ohio State-Michigan, but it is the biggest rivalry.
“That game is crazy. You could feel the atmosphere through the TV.”
McDonald said he felt it was “a great decision” by McClendon to choose Army.
“It is a great opportunity for him not just to play college football, but for his future after college,” McDonald said.
