By RYAN WALKER
Trine University has officially signed a Southern Wells Raider to bolster its offensive line.
Senior Peyton Long signed his national letter of intent Thursday afternoon and will be joining the Thunder out of Angola next fall.
It’s been a long time coming for Long, as he grew up loving the game of football and his family have been watching together for years. This was something he wanted to do at the next level.
“Pretty much since I was young,” Long said. “Obviously, I’m a big wrestler too, but between the two, football has always been the dream goal. Growing up watching football and my parents were really big into it.”
Long spent his senior season dominating on both sides of the ball, earning second-team all-ACAC as an offensive lineman. He also recorded 57 tackles and 10 tackles for loss. Long said that he will primarily play on the offensive nine in college, but the door is open for defense as well.
As a wrestler, Long wrapped up his senior season with a 34-7 record and made it to his third regional apperance. He is in the early stages of completing his final year as a shot put and discus thrower for track.
On Thursday, he was surrounded by friends, family and coaches and he said that “It means the world. I mean, they’ve all supported me so much.”
Trine has had its own success on the gridiron over the years, and that was one of the reasons why he chose them.
The Thunder have had winning seasons in all nine years with head coach Troy Abbs. In 2023, they had a 6-4 record. Abbs, who is now 55-23 at Trine, got the attention of Long in his relatability and enthusiasm.
“He’s just a great guy,” Long said. “He’s welcoming, and when I went over there on a visit, he sat me down so we could talk and he seems like a very energetic guy.”
Long plans to study criminal justice duirng his time at Trine.
ryan@news-banner.com
