On December 4, Ethan Driver made it official, signing to become a member of the Gardner-Webb football team. The room was silent as Driver signed, then quickly erupted in cheers, tears, and joy as he lifted his head to see his loved ones, teammates past and present, and those who have supported his journey around him. These cheers not only celebrated his signing but also the work, dedication, and skill set that Driver has, which led him to where he is now.
Before Driver put the pen to the paper, athletic director Benjamin Baity and head football coach Brian Hinson expressed their positive thoughts about Ethan’s attitude, his commitment to school, and his talents.
“One name I heard a lot was Ethan Driver. And I heard a lot of great things about the player that he is and the wide receiver that he is and everything.” Hinson said. “But the one thing that nobody really knew was how high-class character and how good the young man is,”
Sitting at the table with Driver were his dad, mom, and little brother. His mom and dad also expressed their love and how proud they were of him.
One of his friends, senior Colson Sink, was there to witness Driver’s signing. Sink and Driver have been playing together since they were kids. Since Sink has known Driver for so long, he has noticed Driver’s mental grasp of the game of football.
“I’ll talk to him after a game, I’ll be like, ‘Hey, man, you played great.’ He was like, ‘Oh man, there are two safeties,’ give me a weird look, and he would spend 10 minutes talking to me about it like it was a math problem,” Sink said.
Driver has not only left an impact on the Davie football program, but also on someone who is more than a teammate: his younger brother, Mason Driver, currently a freshman at Davie.
“He influences me through just hard work,” Mason said. “Don’t stop. Just keep going. Don’t give up. Just be a better person and journey.”
Driver signed with Gardner-Webb because he felt very loved by the football community. He felt seen and that Gardner-Webb is the school that put in the effort and sought him out.
“I felt like the coaches showed the most love there,” Driver said. “You know, they always came out and came down here daily, a couple times.”
Driver has achieved much during his time playing football at Davie. He has broken many records, including all-time 100-yard receiving games, all-time touchdown receptions, three-year varsity starter, three-time All-Conference, two-time All-Region, and Wide Receiver of the Year of the Piedmont Region, among many others.
Driver is also able to play in the All-Star Game. This is a game that pits the top players from East and West North Carolina against each other.
When Driver starts his first semester at Gradner-Webb, he should know he will be set as a good example of hard work.
“Not a lot of people get this opportunity,” Hinson said. “Keep grinding, keep doing what you need to do to get this opportunity to play college football as you get going.”
