As a senior at Gateway High School in 2016, college recruiters were hardly banging down Tywan Pearce’s door.
The generously-listed 5-9, 160-pounder had few college scouts feeling he was big enough for the college game.
Now after a playing career at Concord University, a Division II school in tiny Athens, W.V., he feels there could be professional possibilities.
As a Panther, Pearce filled a “Swiss Army Knife” role as a defensive back, wide receiver, kick returner and Wildcat quarterback. He seldom left the field, but his season stats of 318 rushing yards, 238 receiving yards, 20 tackles and a couple interceptions hardly screamed for attention.
The bottom line, few believed in Pearce. GHS Coach Marlin Roberts was among the few.
“Tywan was a kid who loved to play football and simply would do whatever we asked him to do,” Roberts said. “There was no question in my mind that he was a Division I talent that unfortunately wasn’t going to get a chance to play D-I football. I really felt whoever would give him a chance would get a great player.”
Pearce said he conversed with small schools.
“Many saw me as a marginal prospect at defensive back or just a special teams player. And none of those guys were offering me,” Pearce said. “Concord was the first and only team to offer me a scholarship. I pretty much accepted on the spot. I was extremely grateful that they were going to give me an opportunity to play football and pay for my education.”
It was a tough college transition for Pearce, both on and off the field. The small size of Athens and the speed of the college game also surprised Pearce.
“Definite culture shock as far as the size of the town and that first season surprised me,” Pearce said. “When you are in high school you are always one of the best players on the field. When you get to college, everyone on the field was probably the best player at their high school. And the weather … that first winter was terrible. All I wanted to do was stay in the dorm or workout in the gym.”
Despite the drastic changes, Pearce turned some heads his freshman year. He averaged 22.4 yards per kickoff return —earning Mountain East All-Conference honors as a return specialist in the process. Midway through his first year, he also started seeing move action at wide receiver, catching 18 passes in the final four games of the season and finishing with 23 catches for 198 yards and two touchdowns.
Pearce would move into a starter’s role and continue to show big-time potential in both his sophomore and junior seasons. He would earn Honorable Mention All-Conference honors at wide receiver in both years, catching 51 and 65 passes respectively for a combined 1,400 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Covid wiped out his senior season in 2020, as the Mountain East moved the football season to spring before cancelling it altogether.
“Obviously it was a heartbreaking situation as I was looking forward to my senior year,” Pearce said. “I was graduating in four years with a degree in communications and was crushed when my senior season was cancelled.”
But the NCAA ruled 2020 did not count toward eligibility, which opened up an opportunity to return. But with a new head coach at Concord, Pearce wondered if it was time to just collect his diploma, move on from football, and look for a job.
2021 was the season he sought for, reaching career highs in receptions (81), yards (1,176) and touchdowns (13) which earned his first-team All-Conference honors.
There was more — Pearce was named 2nd team All-American by Associated Press, was selected to the prestigious Division II Elite 100 Team and was nominated for the Harlon Hill Award as the nation’s top Division II player.
Pearce’s final college appearance was at the Tropical Bowl, a college all-star game played at Camping World Stadium in Orlando Jan. 15. The game featured mostly Division I players who, like Pearce, sought exposure.
“I didn’t get as many reps in the game as I would have liked but it was a great experience,” Pearce said. “To be able to play my final college game back in Central Florida was a great thrill.”
The game, which featured a week of practices in front of professional scouts, left Pearce with the thought that his playing career just might not be over.
“I think during practices I gave the professional scouts a pretty good idea of what I am capable of,” he said. “Whether it is in the NFL, CFL, Arena or any professional league, I would love an opportunity to keep playing. I just want to keep chasing the dream.”
