When it comes to his immediate future, Riley Harrison has been absolutely certain of two things for some time: he wants to attend a school that can prepare him for any number of career paths and provide him with an opportunity to play college football.
Harrison believes he’s found that school.
The Culpeper High senior announced via his Twitter page over the weekend that he’s committed to The Apprentice School, a trade school located in Newport News.
The Apprentice School offers apprenticeships in 17 skilled trades, with advanced programs available in five additional areas. While the institution isn’t affiliated with the NCAA or NAIA since it does not grant degrees, it still offers six sports—baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, football, men’s golf and wrestling—that compete in the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA).
Harrison said the bevy of trade options, coupled with interest from the football program, make the school a great fit for him.
“I’m not certain about what I want my career to be, so going there will give me the opportunity to make money in any number of trades,” he said. “Basically, I chose [The Apprentice School] because I like the opportunities that it gives me both on and off the field.”
The leader of the Blue Devils’ linebacking corps, Harrison recorded 16 tackles—eight of which went for a loss—to go along with two sacks through the team’s first three games this season. He’s also the squad’s second-leading rusher, having tallied 172 yards and a pair of touchdowns thus far.
Harrison amassed a team-high 111 tackles (10 for loss) in 2019, as well as two sacks, a pair of forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and an interception, which he returned for a score. Those numbers earned him first-team all-Class 4 Northwestern District and second-team all-Region 4C honors.
Harrison also led Culpeper with 752 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, churning up real estate at nearly six yards per attempt.
“He’s just a great football player,” Blue Devils head coach James Ford said. “He’s always around the ball, whether it’s on offense or defense. I can’t wait to see what he does at the next level.”
Former Culpeper assistant coach Brandon Utz pointed out Harrison’s ability to lead by example and inspire those around him as something that will serve him well in the future.
“Riley always did whatever we asked of him,” said Utz, now an assistant at Madison County. “And he did it well and with maximum effort at all times. He’s always the first guy to throw himself into the fire for the good of his team. Other guys see that and they feed off of it, and then you’ve got dozens of guys willing to run through a wall to help their team. You can’t measure how important that is, and he’s got it.”
Harrison’s winning attitude figures to fit right in at The Apprentice School. While the Builders opted not to play football this season due to COVID-19, they went 9-3 and 6-4 in 2018 and 2019, respectively, qualifying for the postseason in both campaigns.
“The school seems like it’s full of leaders and that is what I want to be around,” Harrison added. “Having my decision made is a giant stress reliever. I’m happy with my decision, and I’m very excited to see what the future holds.”