SHENANDOAH JUNCTION, W.Va. — Jefferson linebacker DeLonte Berry has been looking ahead to his future at Navy after becoming one of 12 in-state players last week to sign with a Division I program. Berry committed to the Midshipmen before this past football season began.
“It was very exciting and like I was five years old on Christmas morning,” Berry said. “It was just a very blessed day and amazing – dreams do come true. There were a lot of ups and downs (in the recruiting process). It was a stressful process and I wasn’t very highly recruited, but I wanted to commit before or after the season to 100 percent focus on my last high school season.”
Berry finished this past season with 147 tackles in 11 games, including 13 sacks, 27 tackles for loss and eight forced fumbles.
“Navy was the best place for me because of all of the benefits,” Berry said. “I know it’s going to be a lot of hard work, but I can do it. I wouldn’t have it any other way. The coaching staff said I was very aggressive and never gave up on a play. I’ll play linebacker, more of a striker position and I could maybe even play a little safety.
“The application process was very long,” he continued. “There are a lot of things you have to do, including letters from senators and congressmen, along with physicals. It was a very long process and took me about three months just to finish the application.”
Berry was joined by teammate receiver Christian Johnson who also signed a D-I scholarship, doing so with FCS Towson.
“It’s been awesome,” Berry said. “Christian has been my friend since middle school. We’ve been chasing this dream and we’re just blessed to both sign D-I. We’ll actually be pretty close to one another in Maryland.”
The complete interview with Berry is posted at the top of the page.