LONDONDERRY, N.H. - Patience paid off for Ryan Griffin.
The Londonderry running back, tight end, quarterback and defensive back held off on committing to the University of New Hampshire, which was so high on him it offered him a scholarship last spring, said Griffin. He knew other offers would come. They eventually did, and the 6-6, 220-pound senior accepted a scholarship to play football at the University of Connecticut.
"They offered me on Sunday night, and the coach came up to see me on Monday and talked to me," said Griffin, who spent his first three years at New Hampton Prep. "He said there were a couple of kids waiting, doing the same thing I was doing, but that if I took it, I'd be guaranteed a spot next year, so I took it. It was kind of quick, but I feel like I needed to take some pressure off myself. I picked them and UConn's a great spot for me."
Griffin, who will put on some weight and play tight end in Storrs, received interest from a number of other schools including Boston College, Syracuse, Akron and William and Mary.
Londonderry coach Tom Sawyer believes that Griffin, a Division 1 All-State defensive back, attracted so much interest later on in the season because of his size and his versatility.
"The more a college knows you can do, they're more apt to go after you because they know all the things you can do," said Sawyer. "If you're just the straight-ahead, one-dimensional player, that's all they'll let you do. He ran the ball, blocked, threw the ball, caught the ball, and played safety. He was our interceptions leader (with three). He was never off the field."
"I'm just so excited," said Griffin, who is also a talented basketball player. "Playing in the Big East, playing on TV, representing my family and Londonderry is a great honor. It feels good to put in the work and see what came out of it. The work's not done, I know that. There's another four or five years of work to be done."
This fall he scored 11 TDs and rushed 85 times for 757 yards. He's joining a UConn program which was one of the surprises in the country this fall with a 9-3 record heading into their Dec. 29 meeting with Wake Forest in the Meineke Car Care Bowl.
