There are certain families whose surname sort of follow a program. Like the surname “Tandy,” for instance. There have been tons of fantastic athletes come from Hopkinsville, Kentucky who have proudly bourn that surname. Another such surname is “Merritt.” Perhaps the greatest wrestler to have ever wrestled in Hopkinsville’s program, not to mention his contributions as a football player, was Jeff “Peek-a-boo” Merritt. Then there was Rico Merritt, the greatest 130-pound nose-guard in Hopkinsville High School history and also one of its most decorated wrestlers. Then, of course, there’s Superman!
Who here remembers Miguel Superman Merritt? KPGFootball sure does.
In two seasons at Hopkinsville High School, he totaled over 3,000 yards of offense, scored 35-TDs, made 280-tackles, caught 59-passes, intercepted six aerials, and recovered four fumbles. He was called Superman at least partly for being the most versatile player in Hopkinsville High School’s illustrious history, playing WR,RB,QB, KR, and DB before moving along to play in college. Before we forget, Miguel also won the 185-pound weight division’s Kentucky State Championship in wrestling being named Most Outstanding Wrestler at the state meet his senior year.
As a senior, Superman was Kentucky’s second-highest rated prospect behind QB, Tim Couch, from Leslie County. The two teams squared off against each other in a game played in Hopkinsville and Merritt got the better of Couch, helping lead his Tigers to a 61-0 beat-down covered nationally.
Some of you may not recall, but Miguel had an interception return for a TD covering 35 yards in that game and the Tiger Defense knocked Couch out of the game in the third quarter. Merritt and Couch both signed with the Cats but, when Miguel failed to qualify, he went the junior college route before eventually signing with and becoming a star for Alabama’s Crimson Tide at LB.
Why are you telling us this? I thought the article was about some kid named Welch? We could hear you thinking it, so we thought we would just meet the question head-on by getting it out and into the open. This article is about Donyea Welch, whose father is Marcus Merritt, the brother of Miguel Merritt, and additionally related to both Rico and Peek-A-Boo.
Unlike the other Merritts who all wrestled and played football, the lengthy-framed Donyea has been plying his wares on the hardwood. He has good length and outstanding reach for a 6-3 player. He has really good coordination, agility, quick-feet, vertical burst, pretty much all you would expect to see on a basketball player. The only problem, and it isn’t a problem at all with the sport he’s now undertaken, is he weighs close to 280-pounds.
So, Donyea Welch has come out for football and is working offseason for Coach Clayton’s Tigers both in the weight room and during the speed and conditioning periods. How has he looked? Truthfully, he’s looked good enough to draw his own feature article on the only magazine in Kentucky to cover football year-round.
Donyea is raw. However, that being said, Donyea is a 6-3, 280-pound, class of 2021 athlete. Donyea is coordinated. Donyea has really long arms and a lenghty-frame. Donyea wears a size-16 shoe (indicating he figures to get even bigger). Donyea already bench presses 240-pounds. Donyea already pulls (deadlifts) 500-pounds. Donyea already power-cleans 225-pounds. Donyea is doing all of the above in spite of his just getting started in the program.
One element incidental to our year-round coverage, at KPGFootball, and something of which we take great pride is our penchant for uncovering football talent before any of our competitors. We believe we have an illustrious track-record of scooping those bunch of “busters.” We believe we have just done it again now.
We are telling you, the reader, right now, to take whatever instrument you use to memorialize important information and record the next morsel. This is the first time you will see this in print, on-line, or anywhere:
KPGFootball doesn’t know what number Donyea Welch will wear. KPGFootball doesn’t know whether Donyea Welch will play on one or two-sides of the football. What KPGFootball believes it does know…come Hoptown’s opener the Fall of 2019, Donyea Welch will be starting along the offensive front at one of the tackle slots.
We aren’t telling you we hope this happens or we think this will happen. We are telling you, outside of Donyea Welch moving, quitting, or getting injured, this is going to happen. We believe the kid will be a big star for the Tigers in both 2019 and 2020. After all, the kid’s a Merritt, how far could the acorn have possibly fallen from its family-tree?
Reporting for KPGFootball, this is F.W. Long, reminding all of you ballers out there to PLAY THROUGH THE WHISTLE.
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