ROCKINGHAM — When National Signing Day was quickly approaching earlier this month, Taveon Ellerbe and Rasheed Patrick knew they had to act quickly in order to join 10 of their classmates at the signing table.
Surprising many people on National Signing Day, the two senior defensive players for the Richmond Raiders made their announcements to join the Louisburg College football program next fall. A junior college located northeast of Raleigh, Louisburg will be Ellerbe and Patrick’s home for the next two years.
The linebacker (Ellerbe) and defensive end (Patrick) travelled to visit the Hurricanes on Friday, Feb. 1, and were accompanied by several family members. After spending the day on campus speaking with coaches and checking out the team’s facilities, they both decided it was the perfect fit to continue their athletic and academic careers.
Joining Ellerbe was his mother, Melinda Ellerbe, along with Charles Crank. Patrick toured campus with his mother and his uncle, Kisha and O’Neil Patrick.
One element of Trevor Highfield’s Louisburg football program that Ellerbe and Patrick liked was the sense of home, community and togetherness comparable to what Richmond’s program is like.
“It was the only JUCO in the state that had a football program,” Ellerbe explained. “It was down to them and UNC-Pembroke for me. But the coaches and players at Louisburg were very similar to Coach (Bryan) Till and Richmond. It just felt like home for me.”
“Everybody treats you like family,” Patrick echoed. “By me going there, I’ll feel like I’m still with family. It’s not a big campus, but that means everybody is together. And I liked that they’re not all about football — they will help me with my work, which is a lot like Coach Till.”
Till, who just wrapped up his second season as the Raiders’ head coach, has established a culture of family and trust that also emphasizes the importance of academic success. Ellerbe will remain at the linebacker position when he heads to college, while Patrick is looking to make the shift from the defensive line to the linebacking corps.
Escorting the pair of Raiders around campus were Mike and Stephanie Tolbert, who work as the defensive and recruiting coordinator and senior vice president of enrollment, respectively. The Hurricanes became interested in Ellerbe and Patrick following their senior campaigns, which led to their first official visit earlier this month.
A two-year school, Louisburg’s purpose is to help collegiate student-athletes gain more experience on the field, as well as in the classroom, to prepare them for possible Division I and Division II playing time. And that’s a shared goal between Ellerbe and Patrick.
“My goal is to graduate from Louisburg and play two more years at a bigger university,” Ellerbe said. “Right now I’m going to be replacing one of their top linebackers, so I have high expectations.”
“I wanted to go play Division I, but I needed to work on my transcript and my grades,” Patrick added. “I think playing at Louisburg will help me get to the next level.”
During their final year with the Raiders, Ellerbe and Patrick were part of a defense that tallied four shutouts and held opponents to just 12.8 points per game. Their play at their respective positions also earned them their first All-Sandhills Athletic Conference team bids.
Patrick recorded the most quarterback sacks for the team this season, dragging opposing quarterbacks down 10 times, all while missing several games due to a hand injury. He added 41 total tackles, with 18 of those going for a loss. Patrick also forced one fumbled and defended two passes.
Ellerbe prowled the middle of the field and picked up 67 total tackles, 58 of which were solo plays. He averaged 5.6 tackles per contest and also recorded five tackles for loss. Ellerbe also snagged one interception and defended seven passes in 12 games.
“The other players and coaches are going to help us get better on the field so we can focus on getting to a larger university,” Patrick sad. “Coach Tolbert is great — I love him already. He loves defense and I love defense, so we’re on the same page.”
The duo of future Hurricanes won’t report to camp until this summer, but both are excited for the future experiences that await. Ellerbe plans on starting classes so he can earn a degree in physical education, and hopes to one day return to his high school stomping grounds and help coach football.
Patrick, who also had some offers from some out-of-state junior colleges, is leaning towards a degree in computer engineering, and also hopes to kickstart his career while at Louisburg. “Our whole world is technology, and it’s only going to continue to grow,” he said.
“I’m most excited about playing football again and making it to college,” Ellerbe smiled. “I want to thank God for this opportunity, and my family, my mama and all of the people who helped get me here.
He listed off several people, including former coach Patrick Hope, former and current teachers Deana Robinson, Tanya Quick and Ashleigh Larsen, as well as some members of the administrative staff, Jim Butler, Ricky Young and Till.
“When I visited Louisburg, I knew it was for me,” Patrick said. “I’m excited for the whole college experience — people always talk about how great it is. Being able to play football again is great and I can’t wait to see how it’s different than high school.
“I want to thank my family and coaches for helping get me to where I am,” he concluded. “They all stood behind me on this decision.”
