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Windsor High School multi-sport standout Jamari King, who graduated this June, recently committed to play football and run track for Virginia University of Lynchburg.

King starred on the Windsor varsity football team this past year as an all-around player, shining particularly at wide receiver, and he also stood out on the track team.

He noted that he has been playing football since he was 5 years old, and he started running track when he was in eighth grade.

“I’ve been looking to play college football basically since I was little,” he said. “But track, I wasn’t looking at it as the big-level (opportunity), but since my 11th-grade and 12th-grade year, I wanted to make it far also.”

He drew the interest of VUL in both sports and described what it meant to him to be able to sign on the dotted line and commit to becoming a college athlete.

“For me, it says that anything is possible,” he said. “So all the hard work that pays off — it actually does pay off. So if you just work hard, keep going, then you can make it.”

He expressed gratitude to his mother Coretta King, his father Jeremy King, and his football coach Benjamin DuBois for helping him reach his current level of achievement.

Coretta described it as “an amazing feeling” to see Jamari sign to take his talents to the next level.

“Especially when you have four kids, you want them all to do great,” she said. “He’s the first one out of my nest to go to college, and I’m so very happy for him.”

She added, “One of my favorite quotes that I like is Philippians 4:13: ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.’ And that’s what I teach (Jamari) — that he can do all things as long as he keeps God first.”

Jeremy described Jamari’s college signing as “a beautiful thing.” 

“He started from little league, and he worked his way up,” Jeremy said, noting that Jamari was the smallest football player in the youth league. “Now he’s where he’s at right now, so it’s beautiful.”

DuBois, head coach of Windsor’s varsity football team, said that when he got the job and the 2023 season started, Jamari let him know what his vision was for his football career. DuBois said Jamari’s expectations were high, but he also expressed an understanding that he was getting a late start.

“I told him if he did certain things that he would be in line for something like this (signing), and it came true,” DuBois said.

The coach noted that Jamari had a few major things he learned from his visit to VUL.

“No. 1, they wanted him,” DuBois said. “No. 2, when he left school, he wasn’t going to owe anything, and he had an opportunity to play at the next level.”

Praising Jamari and his value to the VUL Dragons, DuBois said, “That’s a kid that’s not selfish at all. He’s there for the team, and they’re getting a really great player.”

When asked if the VUL coaches had let him know how they would like to utilize him on the gridiron, Jamari said, “Right now, they just said playmaker. They were saying receiver, and they were saying special teams, as in kick return and punt return.”

Jeremy and Coretta King anticipate being on hand to support Jamari as he competes.

“We plan to attend as many games as we can this year that the Lord sees fit for us to make it to,” Coretta said, “and we’re going to be right there cheering him on.”