FAYETTEVILLE — Allen Whitlow is the first football Arkansas High School Coaches Association All-Star selection in Rogers Heritage’s young history.
He could have also been the first football player to sign a college scholarship. But he spurned scholarship offers to insure his future, and that means more than just the next four or five years.
Whitlow (6-foot-2, 240 pounds) said the best scholarship offer came from Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, but there was one problem: Henderson did not have an engineering program, which will be Whitlow’s major in college.
So he chose to bypass the football scholarship offers to attend the University of Arkansas. But that doesn’t mean his football career is over. Whitlow will continue to play football as a walk-on for the Razorbacks.
It was not an easy decision, Whitlow said.
“It was hard,” Whitlow said. “If I went to Henderson I’d have a lot more playing time and they would pay for my school. But looking at it down the road, I’d rather set myself up for the rest of my life than just four years.”
Heritage coach Perry Escalante said Whitlow’s forethought shows the importance he and his family place on academics. Escalante also promotes academics and Whitlow is a fine example, he said.
“That speaks highly of him and his family,” Escalante said. “He understands football is not always going to be there. He’s a perfect example of setting the bar high both athletically and academically.”
Whitlow finished with a 3.85 grade-point average and ranked among the top 25 in a class of 410 at Heritage. He also helped lead the War Eagles to a 9-3 finish in just their second season, losing in the second round of the playoffs on the football field.
But Escalante said he also showed tremendous work ethic for the War Eagles the past two seasons.
The All-State selection was a leader on the offensive line and showed it in his offseason work between his junior and senior years. Whitlow increased his strength significantly and gained 30 pounds, going from 210 pounds to 240.
“He’s always been a real good technician,” Escalante said. “But he had a great offseason and he was able to put on some size and muscle. We see such big people on the defensive line in our conference — 280 or 290 pounds. And very seldom did he have problems.”
Escalante wasn’t sure Whitlow would be chosen as an all-star, but when the all-star coaches said they needed a center, Escalante was there to promote Whitlow.
“They said they needed a good center and buddy, they got one,” Escalante said. “He’s a smart kid who can make all the calls. I think he had two bad snaps in two years for me. As many times as we throw it that’s pretty good.”
Profile
Allen Whitlow
School: Rogers Heritage
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 240
Notable: Earned All-7A-West Conference and All-State honors for the War Eagles as a senior. ... Was a two-year starter at center for Heritage and finished with a 3.85 grade-point average.