The simple inclination has been the same ever since Nick Singleton was barely able to wrap his arm around a football: See a crease and reach the end zone. It’s been a habit for the 5-foot-11, 190-pound Governor Mifflin junior tailback.
Even with defenses stacked up to stop him, Singleton still busts loose.
In leading the Mustangs to their best start in over 20 years, Singleton has rushed for 1,002 yards on 68 carries, averaging 14.7 yards a carry, with 19 touchdowns and he has even completed a 46-yard pass in Governor Mifflin’s 6-0 start, after the Mustangs’ 62-7 victory over Berks Catholic Friday night for another BCIAA Section I title.
The Saints, like everyone facing Mifflin, had one large problem: Singleton
In three seasons, Singleton already owns Mifflin school records for career touchdowns (67) and career rushing yards (3,292).
He’s received 30 college offers, and though some Southeastern Conference teams have not noticed yet, that will surely change. Singleton may be in Penn State’s backyard, but by the time he’s ready to choose, he’s going to go anywhere he wants.
None of this comes as a surprise to Mustangs’ head coach Jeff Lang. He actually saw Singleton’s arrival before anyone.
“Put it this way, Nick is the same age as my son, so I probably saw Nick play football since he first touched a football,” Lang said. “Even then, he was like a man amongst boys. I saw probably every football game Nick played in, so I knew we had something pretty special coming up.
“I just never realized how strong and how fast Nick would develop. What he can do is just phenomenal. I saw him running circles around other teams, and he was competitive.”
So competitive, that when Nick was pulled out of games in blowouts, his own father, Tim, would pull him out of games and Nick would explode, because he wanted to continue playing.
Even today, Singleton laughs at the recollection of being pulled from games.
“I never wanted to come out,” Nick says. “I wanted to play, and I still have that attitude. But I’m older and I understand why. It’s just the way I always was. Once I get the ball, I want to score.
“Ever since I was young, I wanted to play big-time football. I would Penn State, Ohio, Oregon, Alabama, and I always wanted to be in those games. I’ve been busting my butt since then.”
Singleton’s freshman year he was working out with weights that some of the Mustangs’ seniors were struggling with.
Singleton started lifting when he was 12. As a junior, Singleton benches 365 pounds and squats 505 pounds. Lang says Singleton reminds him of Earl Campbell.
“Nick runs violent, he just likes to run people over,” Lang said. “Nick has that rare combination of speed and power. He’s powerful, but once he reaches that second level, he’s gone. He runs away from people, but he also knows if he has to put his head down for a few more yards, he’ll run through you.”
Singleton a workaholic. He loves to work. He loves lifting. He loves running. This season, he has touchdown runs of 93, 91, 70 and 68.
His first offer came in the summer between his freshman and sophomore year from William & Mary. The offers have been pouring in ever since.
“Right now, my focus is on the season, and after that, I want to start breaking down schools,” Singleton said. “We’re having a great season. We’re 5-0, and I know it’s been a long time, but we have a great team and we have a lot of great players on this team.”
Joseph Santoliquito is an award-winning sportswriter who has been covering high school football since 1992 and is the president of the Boxing Writers Association of America. He can be followed on twitter @JSantoliquito. Follow EasternPAFootball.com on Twitter @EPAFootball.
