CENTENARY, Ohio — Gallia Academy senior Morgan McKinniss signed a letter of intent to play football at Kentucky Christian University on Friday, April 1, at the GAHS learning center.

McKinniss — who played only one year of varsity football with the Blue Devils — joins a football program that has been in existence for only three years. KCU — which is located in Grayson, Ky. — is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletes (NAIA) and also compete in the Mid-South Conference.

McKinniss — who also earned varsity letters in both wrestling and soccer during his Blue Devil career — says having the opportunity to play football at the collegiate level is something that he is very thankful for. However, he also notes that the chance to further his education is the best part of this deal.

“This is a really big day for me. I am about to venture into something I’ve never done before and there was a lot of thought in this process, but I do feel in the end that it was the right choice for me,” McKinniss said. “The athletic side of this is one thing, but KCU also makes every program a double major with a bible degree — which is something that I have always been interested in. That was one of the key things in me deciding to go there.”

McKinniss will be playing for new KCU coach Mike Furrey, who enjoyed an 8-year NFL career as a wide receiver with the St. Louis Rams, Detroit Lions, Cleveland Browns and Washington Redskins.

That kind of knowledge will benefit an up-and-coming program like KCU, even though the program does not have a football stadium of its own to call home. The Knights currently play their home contests at Morehead State Univesity.

But McKinniss noted that it wasn’t the facilities (or the lack thereof) that played a deciding factor in his choosing the Knights. Rather, it was the people he met during his campus visit.

“There is a fieldhouse that the soccer and football teams share and they have some locker rooms there, but it’s really not much to speak of for a college program,” McKinniss said. “What really drew me there, however, was the character and quality of the individuals that are at KCU. The days I spent down there on my tour of the campus were a blessing, just getting to talk to the professors and the people on campus. I’m really looking forward to this opportunity with KCU.”

Kentucky Christian is in the process of building its own home football facility, which should be completed during the next four years.

For GAHS football coach Mike Eddy, having McKinniss move on to the next level made for another bright day for the Blue Devil program.

“There’s quality football at all levels and if you have a desire to play, there is a spot for you somewhere. Morgan is one of those kids,” Eddy said. “This time last year, Morgan wasn’t even playing football. He played when he was younger, tried some other sports and decided to come back for his senior year and fell in love with it all over again.

“I’m glad to see him continue on with it, because his attitude and work ethic will allow him to be successful at whatever he does at KCU. He’s always upbeat and he’s always prepared to do whatever you ask of him, and those are the things that will carry him on to better days at the next level.”

McKinniss served as a tight end and defensive lineman for Gallia Academy last fall, but did not start regularly at either position. Still, McKinniss always took pride in doing whatever was needed of him to help make the Blue Devils better each week.

The soon-to-be GAHS graduate will be taking on a very similar role in the very near future with the Knights.

“In talking with the current coaches and players at KCU, there is a collective mentality that we are going to go into next season and nobody is going to stop us. It’s very similar to what I had here at Gallia Academy with coach Eddy,” McKinniss said. “It’s a great mentality to have as long as you can back it up. From what I’ve seen at KCU, it’s very likely that it will be backed up ... and I’m very excited about being a part of that.”

McKinniss, who currently resides in Gallipolis, plans to major in education. He is the son of Terry and Faith McKinniss. Morgan’s older brother Rex also plays for the soccer program at Kentucky Christian University.