While Atwater was sidelined with a shoulder injury during his freshman year of high school, he made the most of his three years on the team as he prepared to play at the next level. Looking back on the experience, Atwater recognizes the foundational knowledge those years provided and noted he was “extremely happy” to learn of the honor that acknowledged the hard work he put in all those years ago.
“I started playing football when I was eight years old,” Atwater said. “I knew right then that I loved it. I loved the physicality of it, I loved going to practice. In high school, there was just the carryover from youth football. I loved it in high school, and I loved it in college, too. It was just something that could get me away from all the other stuff that was going on.”
The National High School Hall of Fame was founded in 2010 to “preserve the history and honor of high school football players, coaches and contributors” and “foster the growth of young talent and inspiring the next generation,” according to the NHSHF.
Atwater, along with the rest of the Class of 2025, will be enshrined in Canton, Ohio on June 14.
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