Football: Wise's Titus Till verbals to Univ. of Maryland

By James A. McCray III
Prince George's County, Content Manager

Ask Dr. Henry A. Wise, Jr. High School junior Titus Till his height and weight and he is quick to say, "6 foot 3, 195 pounds."

But only seconds later Wise head coach DaLawn Parrish is quick to add, jokingly: "Don't let the boy lie to you. He is 6'2", 190."

Either way, both sides would agree that Till plays bigger than what his true dimensions may be. For that reason -- and more -- Till was offered a Division-I scholarship and verbally agreed to play football for the University of Maryland after his high-school playing days are over.

Till, with the acceptance of a full scholarship, will eventually become Wise's first-ever football player to sign a Division-I offer.

"I feel great," Till said two days removed from an official visit to the College Park campus this past Saturday. "It is a wonderful opportunity, and I am truly blessed to be in this position."

"Titus hits like a truck," Parrish said about his free safety. "He was definitely one of the better hitters this season. He transitions out of his breaks well, he takes good angles, he fills the gaps, and he is just a kid that never leaves the field."

Till was on the field for Wise during its 9-4 season this year including being a part of Wise's first-ever 4A South Regional championship after a 28-0 victory over C.H. Flowers on Nov. 22. Its season ended with a 45-8 loss to Sherwood in the 4A state semi-final contest.

During the state-tournament run, Till finished with 30 solo tackles, 35 assisted tackles, two tackles for losses, an interception, and five passes broken up in the history-setting season.

"The season and the year says more about the young people," Parrish said. "The coaches can't win without players; the players make us look good."

Other schools vying for Till's services included Pittsburgh, the University of Virginia, Duke, Georgia Tech, and West Point among others.

After Saturday's visit to College Park, Till's decision became easy.

"I loved the football facilities there," Till explained. "All of the football facilities were in one building including the study hall, you can eat in there and a lot more and it makes it very easy to function."

As far as Parrish's role in the recruitment process, Till added: "Coach Parrish does so much for all of us. He makes the tapes, sends out the tapes, and he really puts your name out there. He really took it out of my hands."

Many of the football seniors from the class of 2009 will sign their respective letters of intent to colleges and universities this coming Wednesday.

Till will be in the same position as his counterparts this time next year and now that his college decision is made long before his senior season has begun, he can focus on continuing Wise's successes on the field next year.

"Now I can relax," Till admitted. "I can relax and just play football in my senior season. I can worry about my SAT, and I won't have any stress in choosing a school next year. It's a done deal."

tmccray@digitalsports.com