LESTER, Ala.- Lester, Alabama is home to roughly 120 people. It’s also home to West Limestone High School. It may be a small town and a small school, but Wildcats quarterback and defensive back Reed Blankenship is a big time talent.

Football wasn’t always Blakenship’s sport of choice.

“I’ve been playing baseball my whole life. My daddy’s been pushing me to play baseball but when I went to high school I just figured this isn’t the sport for me,” Blankenship told WHNT News 19. “I played football in middle school. I wasn’t good my first year in middle school because I was just getting used to it but after that it started clicking. I wasn’t even gonna play my 9th grade year but I had people talking to me and I realized this is it. This is the sport I wanna play.

So he stuck with it. Since ditching the diamond for the gridiron in 9th grade, Blankenship has become an all-state quarterback and defensive back for the Wildcats. Despite his success, colleges didn’t start showing interest until after West Limestone’s spring game.

“This summer, my first big one was Middle Tennesse. That was the main college I wanted to go to. I was like man, that felt good.”

After a couple of visits, he was sold. Blankenship verbally committed to the Blue Raiders on August 17th. They’re getting a speedster with Blankenship, who is being recruited as a defensive back. According to him, he’s the fastest guy on the football team with a 4.5 40-yard dash.

“At West Limestone, I’ve been the fast guy. I get it from my daddy. He was fast in high school and he passed it on to me.”