Derik Samber, the head football coach at Stone Memorial High School, still remembers the first time he met Nick Osmun.
Osmun and his parents, Chris and Andrieke, were introduced to Samber after moving to Crossville from San Diego, CA. The Osmuns had retired from the military and were looking for a new place to live. Samber was told Nick loved the game of football and would like to come out for the team.
“I remember Nick and his parents coming into Stone for the first time and
them introducing me to this shaggy haired bean pole from California,” Samber said “To think about that day, and then to think about today, that’s what it is all about, right.”
The day Samber is referring to is Tuesday when Osmun signed his national letter of intent to play football and baseball next year for Cumberland University in Lebanon.
“I feel great about today,” Osmun said after signing with the Phoenix. “I appreciate Cumberland University is going to give me a shot at playing football and baseball, I feel pretty good about that, it feels right.”
Osmun said he considered several other schools before inking with CU. He and his family gave serious looks at Lindsey Wilson College in Columbia, KY., and the University of Kentucky in Lexington.
“Cumberland coaches were really understanding about the sports I like to play,” Osmun said. “We looked at Lindsey Wilson and Kentucky, but Cumberland stood out to me right from the start. The campus is beautiful, and the environment is really nice.”
Osmun had a great senior campaign in football. He was a dual threat for the Panthers, completing 132 of 231 passes for 1,941 yards and 24 touchdowns. When he decided to tuck it and run, he rushed for 770 yards on 114 carries. He had eight touchdowns.
“For Nick, he kind of looks the part,” Samber said. “When he throws on his helmet and shoulder pads, he looks like a next level quarterback. We knew early on about Nick’s arm talent, and that probably translates from playing baseball.”
Osmun holds the record for single season passing yards and passing touchdowns. He was also selected the 2023 Region QB of the Year, while also earning all-state honors from the Tennessee Football Coaches Association.
In baseball, he earned all-district honors, while hitting .431 with 44 hits and 29 RBIs as a junior.
Osmun will be going into a CU football program on the hunt for success. Cumberland University was 5-5 last year and has won only 13 games in the last four years.
“I told the coaches at Cumberland that he’s going to make them better on the field this fall,” Samber said, “whether he is pushing for the starting QB spot, or making throws they’re not used to seeing. on the scout team.
“Nick just needs to go up there and be Nick, right? He’s got to take care of the classroom work, and I know what he’s capable of athletically and academically. He needs to just put his head down and work hard. He needs to get his nose in the playbook, and buddy up to the quarterback coach and the offensive coordinator. I think his talent will take over from there.”
Osmun, who wants to major in kinesiology at CU, said he could have never reached the point in his life where he is signing a college scholarship without the help of his teammates and coaches, and his family.
“Stone Memorial has been very accepting of me,” Osmun said after the signing ceremony.
“Coach Samber gave me the nickname of Sunshine, and I think it has stuck. I like it … it makes me feel accepted.”