West Liberty State Boasts Plenty of Football Talent

Nestled in the northernmost part of West Virginia just miles from the Pennsylvania border lies the campus of West Liberty State College.

A small school with just over 2,500 undergraduates, often West Liberty’s athletic program gets overshadowed with Ohio State just two hours to the west and Pittsburgh only an hour to the northeast.

While those schools have a long tradition of NFL alumni, West Liberty State is starting its own tradition.

Boasting a highly decorated 2009 roster complete with three first-team AP Little All-American selections and four total, West Liberty’s football team finished the year 11-2 and had a collection of post-season honors for its players.

Perhaps the school’s most highly touted NFL prospect was the 2009 Gene Upshaw Award (best Division II lineman) recipient Ben Staggs, who also became the school’s first East-West Shrine Bowl participant.

Joining Ben in the post season honors were quarterback Zach Amedro, tight end Ryan Travis and cornerback Derrick Evans. All three Hilltoppers were named to first team AP Little All-Americans.

As well, wide receiver Eddie Hills was selected to participate in the annual Valero Cactus Bowl in Kingsville, Texas.

Proving West Liberty is not a one-year wonder with football talent, this was the third straight year the Hilltoppers had a player in the Cactus Bowl (2009-Darren Banks and 2008-Almonzo Banks, no relation).

Amedro, the junior quarterback, had perhaps the best year among Division II quarterbacks. He threw for 4,945 yards with 49 touchdowns and only 14 interceptions.

His completion percentage was also an outstanding 65 percent. At 6’0”, 190 pounds, Amedro resembles a young Drew Brees in size, pocket presence and production. With one season left, Amedro looks like the top non-Division I quarterback in America.

Wide receiver Eddie Hills was the recipient of many of Amedro’s passes this year, piling up 88 receptions for 1,091 yards and five touchdowns. This was only Hills’ second season as a wide receiver, too.

In his first two years on campus, he was West Liberty’s top running back, posting two 1,000-plus yard seasons. He has clearly taken to the wide receiver position well and is the type of speedy slot receiver teams drool over.

Derrick Evans was simply put the most productive defensive back in the entire country this past season. With nine interceptions and 30 passes defended, he was the national leader in both of those categories.

Armed with a 44-inch vertical jump, Evans’ athleticism allows him to play much bigger than his 5’10” frame. He also was a sprinter on the West Liberty track and field team, and has been clocked at a sub-4.50 40-yard dash time.

He has the measureables and production that could make him a rover-safety in the NFL or a nickel back. Regardless, his ballhawking skills make him a true playmaker.

The NFL scouts have taken notice and seniors Eddie Hills and Derrick Evans have joined Ben Staggs as legitimate NFL prospects. Amedro has one year of eligibility left but will undoubtedly garner as much if not more NFL attention than the current seniors this time next year.

Meanwhile, Ben Staggs is slowly moving up NFL draft charts as scouts continue to evaluate his athleticism and solid play in the East-West Shrine Game.

He will need to get bigger and stronger in order to compliment his technique and agility, both skills that have raised eyebrows at the week of practice leading up the Shrine Bowl.

As the Upshaw Award winner and the Don Hansen’s Football Gazette’s offensive lineman of the year, Staggs has been projected as a late-round draft selection, while Evans and Hills will undoubtedly become priority free agents immediately after the draft. 

West Liberty has produced an MLB all-star in Joe Niekro and was home briefly to country music superstar Brad Paisley. But now it seems that the impressive alumni list will begin to include some professional football players.