By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
Graduated Cabot student-athlete Jacob Trammell became the second Panther in less than a week to sign a scholarship with Arkansas Tech University. Trammell, a two-sport athlete for Cabot, will play golf for the Wonderboys’ program after a recent change of heart.
Trammell is a two-time All-Conference winner and was named All-State after his senior season, but the fine arts college in Russellville wasn’t his first choice.
“I actually had my mind set on going down to (Ouachita Baptist) until I got in touch with coach Faulkner,” Trammell said. “I went up there and he basically made me an offer I couldn’t refuse. He gave me full tuition.”
Faulkner called Cabot athletic director Johnny White to inquire about Trammell. White passed the message on to Trammell, who called and set up a visit to the campus. During his visit, he played a round of golf with some of the current ATU players, and shot even par. Faulkner told him after the round that he had a scholarship if he wanted it.
“That’s pretty much it,” Trammell said. “OBU couldn’t offer full tuition to golfers because that would be so much money.”
Trammell, who also started at point guard for the basketball Panthers, has been a golfer since the age of seven. He started playing in junior tournaments in the Arkansas State Golf Association at the age of 12.
Last summer, his last season as at the junior level, Trammell had three top three finishes, including a win in Monticello. He finished second last season at Pine Bluff and third at Burns Park in North Little Rock. He didn’t play well at the high-school state meet last fall, but his reputation was established and the recruitment was underway.
“I had a bad round at state,” Trammell said. “The course was pretty tough. Things don’t always work out. I had a pretty good senior year though.”
Trammell indeed did have a good senior year. He finished with a one-over stroke average for the season. Trammell was also an avid hoopster, and will miss the sport. He is part of third-year coach Jerry Bridges’ first sophomore class, and says he immensely enjoyed his high-school career.
“I loved it,” Trammell said. “It was really hard work and everything, but I love the game. Playing it was just awesome.”
Trammell already knows what avenue he wants to pursue academically. “I’m going to study pre-dentistry,” Trammell said. “I’ve just thought about being a dentist for a long time, so I figured I would try it out.”
Trammell reports to ATU on August 18, and says he’ll just take things easy this summer.
“I’m too old to play ASGA now. I think I’ll play about three tournaments and just practice a lot. He (Faulkner) didn’t really tell me anything specific to work on, so I’ll just practice everything I guess.”
