First Things First

Blackmon, Barley’s/BPR Preseason Player of Year, makes school, team top priorities

Maryville’s T.D. Blackmon receives the BlueCross Bowl Defensive Most Valuable Player Award at Tennessee Tech’s Tucker Stadium last December. Photo by Brandon Shinn

By Stefan Cooper
Editor
Blount Press Row

Vanderbilt, Georgia Tech, Wake Forrest, Stanford and Clemson are getting in early.

Each has requested transcripts from Maryville High School on junior linebacker T.D. Blackmon, generally the last step before a formal scholarship offer.

There will be others.

It’s who’s getting in first, some of the country’s finest academic institutions, that turns your head. Blackmon, the 2015 Barley’s/Blount Press Row Preseason Player of the Year, isn’t only one of the best football players to come through Blount County in some time.

His priorities are right on the money.