INSTITUTE, W.Va. — RJ Hairston often found himself transitioning between football and basketball at Bluefield High School.
While Hairston will soon continue to prolong his career in both sports at nearby Bluefield State University, his final opportunity to represent the Beavers comes this week in the North-South All-Star Football Classic.
Hairston, a Class AA first-team all-state honoree on the gridiron and hardwood as a junior and senior, is a member of the South Cardinals in their matchup with the North Bears come noon Saturday at South Charleston High School.
“I’ve been learning throughout the week,” Hairston said. “I came in here raw just really trying to see what happens.”
At 6-foot-4 and 195 pounds, the wide receiver already has a college-like stature. This week, Hairston will be put to the test competing against teammates in practice and opponents from the North. The competition factor helped draw Hairston to the annual event.
“Really just trying to compete. We’ve been competing in practice,” Hairston said. “We have some good defensive backs, so I’m getting better every day. I haven’t played football in a minute, so I’m trying to get back in the groove.”
Hairston’s hardly had difficulty doing that in the past.
Seven months ago, he wrapped up his second straight first-team all-state campaign by finishing with 26 receptions for 747 yards and nine touchdowns. A year earlier, he earned the distinction after catching 35 passes for 683 yards and six TDs.
Now he’s surrounded by and competing with players of a similar talent level on the campus of West Virginia State in the week leading up to Saturday’s clash.
“It’s great. Everybody can do what they have to do and I can really see how a team should work,” Hairston said.
During the week, both teams hold two practices daily and partake in off-site bonding activities while staying on the WVSU campus.
“This helps me, because I wake up early in the morning and I’m trying to get in that groove. Having a routine, going to practice, getting your nutrition and all that,” Hairston said.
Only three months ago, Hairston helped lead the Beavers’ basketball team to an appearance in the Class AA title game one year after they finished a semifinalist.
Throughout his football and basketball careers at Bluefield, Hairston played for a pair of the state’s more successful and longest-tenured head coaches in Fred Simon (football) and Buster Large (basketball).
Large recently resigned from the position after 16 seasons.
“It’s crazy man. I’m surprised. I thought he’d be there forever,” Hairston said. “I thought he was going to die on that court coaching. I love the man though.”
While Hairston is the lone Bluefield player in the annual showdown showcasing a large portion of the state’s top senior football players, he didn’t think twice about accepting the invitation.
“It means everything. I love Bluefield and I would die for Bluefield,” Hairston said. “I’m just happy to represent them one more time.”