COLLINSVILLE – Collinsville senior defensive end/fullback Justin Irvine said he’d dreamed of playing collegiate football since he was five.

On Friday, he got one step closer to that dream.

Irvine signed a football scholarship with Division III Huntingdon College out of Montgomery Friday morning at a ceremony in the Collinsville High School library. He chose the Hawks over Birmingham Southern and Shorter College.

Irvine, who transferred to Collinsville from Etowah High School in 2009, posted 38 tackles (eight for lost yardage), four sacks and recovered a fumble as a defensive end for the Panthers (6-4) last season. He also rushed for 301 yards and three touchdowns on 35 carries as a fullback.

Huntingdon plans to utilize Irvine’s talents at defensive end.

“It’s a blessing,” Irvine said. “It’s been a long process. I never thought it would feel like this, but it’s a wonderful feeling.”

Collinsville football coach Alan Beckett said what makes Irvine a special player is his work ethic.

“He’s going to be the first guy there (at practice) and the last guy to leave,” Beckett said. “He really loves the game and really plays hard. On top of that, he’s a really good leader. He’s a guy who sets a good example and tries to make the others better. He cares about winning.

“As a defensive end, when he plays with his hands down, he has a great first step and is very explosive off the snap. He gives teams a lot of difficulties. Most of the schools that looked at him thought he could play at that next level.”

Irvine said he’s grateful his teammates and coaches at Collinsville welcomed him like they did. He said they made him feel like a part of the team.

“There’s not many places that will let someone come in and be a vital part of their team my senior year, but playing with Collinsville from day one, I felt comfortable here,” Irvine said. “They all welcomed me here. It felt like home. I just felt blessed to be part of the team and be a leader for Coach Beckett.”

Beckett said he could tell when he first met Irvine he was serious about helping the Panthers and wanting to play at the next level.

“When he came in, he said ‘I want to play after high school.’ I said ‘If you’re good enough, we’ll put you in that position and make sure you take the ACT and get everything where it needs to be. We’ll shop you around,’” Beckett said. “It’s been a process. We thought he could play, if other people were exposed to him. Several teams were interested in him, but he felt really good about Huntingdon. He’s ready to be a Hawk and play at the next level.”

What helped Irvine make the decision to attend Huntingdon was his recruiter, Hawks defensive line coach Jason Fronabarger. He also liked the campus and felt comfortable after meeting the players and the rest of the Huntingdon coaching staff.

“It’s a smaller school, and I felt real comfortable when I was up there,” he said. “I met some of the guys, and they seem excited for me to be down there. I can’t wait to be a Hawk.”