CAIRO — Syrupmakers star athlete KJ Spence has committed to play football at Fort Valley State near Macon, Georgia.
“It’s great. We feel great for him and we were just excited for him,” said Cairo head football coach David Coleman. “He’s a good young man and a hard worker and we’re just excited to see the opportunity that he has and know that he’s going to do a good job with it.”
The football and basketball star had a phenomenal senior year on the hardwood and the gridiron. On the court, Spence achieved a milestone known to very few basketball players. Spence joined Cairo’s 1,000 points club, while averaging a team high 24.1 points per game. He also led the Syrupmakers in field goal percentage with 38%, assists per game with 3.9 and steals per game with 2.7. He also rebounded well with 7.3 boards per game and was named region player of the year.
On the gridiron, Spence was one of the best running backs in the South Georgia. He led the Syrupmakers in rushing yards per game with 76.4, total touchdowns with 20 and rushing touchdowns with 17.
He had 117 carries over the course of 11 games, racking up a team high 840 rushing yards this season. He averaged 7.2 yards per carry and finished his senior season with 1,052 all-purpose yards. Spence was also impactful on defense, earning first team defense all-region honors.
However, one of the things that stands out the most about Spence is his locker room presence and leadership abilities.
“For us, he was a good locker room presence, a positive, vocal leader,” Coleman said. “I hope he continues to do that and it carries on to the next level.”
“From his ninth grade year to his junior year, you could see the growth. But, from his junior year to his senior year, the jump was even greater,” said Cairo head basketball coach JJ Cooper. “His leadership, his role in the locker room. This year taking control of the locker room, the kids following behind him, him taking charge in the huddles and during time outs. It’s mind-blowing as a coach. That’s my biggest love, seeing him grow as a leader.”
Spence will join a Fort Valley State program that had a solid season in 2023, going 8-3 overall and 6-2 in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
They had some impressive victories, including a 40-17 win over Clark Atlanta University and a 31-9 win over Kentucky State. Spence will get his first look at college football in 2024 when Fort Valley State opens their season on August 31 against Clark Atlanta.