By MATT PIKE
St. Joseph Post
Lafayette receiver Carlos Cortez officially signed his letter of intent to Missouri Western Tuesday, and is now officially a Griffon.
Cortez, who is also an outstanding track star and a state qualifier in the 100 meter dash, says track is where he thought he was headed when he went to college, but midway through this past football season, began to draw interest for his skills on the gridiron.
"At the beginning of my senior year, I was kind of on the path of running track in college," Cortez told reporters. "And it wasn't until the middle of the season I started getting actual looks for football, and ever since Missouri Western contacted me, I've been Missouri Western all the way."
Cortez says that Missouri Western coaching staff, led by head coach Matt Williamson, was like no other coaching staff he met on his college visits.
"The Missouri Westen coaching staff is second to none, on my recruiting visit, at other recruiting visits the head coach would never pop in, but at Missouri Western, Coach Willie (Williamson) was the guy that took us everywhere, he's the guy that built relationships, and he's the guy that we asked questions and he personally answered those questions," Cortez says. "Coaching staff is just amazing."
Cortez will join two of his Irish teammates on the Griffon sideline, as Quarterback Jaron Saunders and Offensive Lineman Quentin Garrett also signed with Western.
"Me, Q (Garrett), and Jaron we played together since fourth grade, so I mean, why not in our last four years playing together," Cortez says. "And that's what we talked about, and that's what we decided to do."
But Cortez says he puts one thing above himself in everything he does on the football field, his family.
"It's amazing, you know, I get to play the game I love while also making the people I love proud, especially my brothers, everything I do is because of them, they taught me the game, everything athletically is because of them," Cortez proudly says.
In his senior season with the Irish Cortez helped Lafayette to a 6-4 record and compiled 23 catches for 527 yards and seven touchdowns.
First year Irish head coach Ryan Shroyer says he saw Cortez grow this year on the football field in many ways.
"Oh, he's just done everything right from the very get go, he's been an outstanding leader on and off the field, he's extremely talented at track but he's also extremely talented at football," Shroyer says. "So for him to be able to represent the school in the right way and be able to provide an opportunity for himself, I'm super proud of him.
Cortez, Saunders, and Garrett are part of a Missouri Western signing class that includes 21 other players, more details on that class HERE.