excerpt from DNJ:

...Hard work has landed Wesley Hale at Middle Tennessee, and the same effort by the Blue Raider coaching staff will fill a void on its future roster.

Hale, a rising senior fullback at Morristown West, has verbally committed to sign as part of Middle Tennessee's 2007 recruiting class.

"I've worked some long hours in the gym and on the field to get to this level. ... The Middle Tennessee coaches worked hard to get me, and that made my decision a lot easier," said Hale, who rushed for 602 yards and nine touchdowns last season to help guide Morristown West to a 13-1 record.

"They would send handwritten letters almost every other day to our house, and the letters came from every coach on the staff."

Middle Tennessee's first commitment for the 2007 signing class, Hale (6-foot, 220 pounds) should slide into fullback, where the Blue Raiders are already thin heading into the 2006 season.

"That was a big part of it. I want to play, and I know their situation at fullback," Hale said. "I don't want to go to college just to say that I was on Alabama's team or UT's team.

"Just because you're on the team doesn't mean you get to play right away. I want to play college football, not sit and wait for two or three years to play it.


Middle Tennessee lands in-state commitment