There were several NCAA Division I schools in pursuit of Thomas Johnson linebacker Jeremy Grove.

But there was something about East Carolina University that appealed a little more than the rest to Grove.

"The coaches there took the time to develop a relationship with me," he said. "Everything we talked about wasn't about football. I could talk to those guys about life. That's the thing I really liked. There were a couple of other schools that were like that, but the rest didn't get to know me at all. They just wanted to talk about football."

That's why Grove has verbally committed to play for the Pirates on a full scholarship. He accepted their offer shortly after returning home from their spring football game on April 18.

"It's definitely always been a dream of mine to play Division I football," Grove said. "I have been training hard for it ever since ninth grade. So, it feels pretty good to have accepted an offer."

Grove is part of the initial wave of Division I football acceptances that is expected to sweep across Frederick County over the next nine months. Big-time offers are pouring in for numerous players in the county.

"It's a pretty cool thing," Grove said. "Growing up playing with all these guys in little league, you could just see that Frederick County had a lot of talent."

Grove said he had at least attracted the interest of just about every school in the Big East and ACC, even if they hadn't made an offer.

He received formal offers from Louisville, Navy and East Carolina, among others.

"It's kind of crazy. You are getting maybe 10 to 20 letters a day," he said. "You have coaches coming in during the season that want to talk to you. It's a pretty hectic process. There's a lot of pressure."

Grove has played one season at TJ after transferring from Urbana . Last season at TJ, he formed a dynamic duo at linebacker with Nick Forbes, another Division I prospect.

Limited by a high-ankle sprain, Grove played in just eight games for the Patriots. He registered 95 tackles, including 16 for a loss. He also assisted on 39 others.

"The kid's got a lot of guts," TJ coach Ben Wright said. "He works very hard."

In addition to his defensive responsibilities, Grove expects to play more snaps on offense this season as a fullback. Last season, he was limited to just 22 yards on five carries because of the injury, which he said has fully healed.

Grove is also planning to graduate from TJ after the first semester, following in the footsteps of former teammate D.J. Scott, who left TJ early to begin attending classes at Central Michigan University.

"They had a senior linebacker (at East Carolina). So, there's a chance I could come in and play right away," Grove said. "It would give me a chance to start school there early and would make it less hectic by the time everything with football starts."

In the meantime, Grove wants to lead TJ to a championship season this fall.

"One of my dreams was to play Division I football. The other was to win a state championship," he said. "I already have one. Now I am going after the other."

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