Officially a Chippewa: Alpena senior Logan Guthrie signs Letter of Intent to continue football career at CMU
Alpena senior Logan Guthrie signs Letter of Intent to continue football career at CMU
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The wait is finally over for Logan Guthrie.
On Wednesday's early signing day, Guthrie made his commitment official as he signed his National Letter of Intent to continue his academic and athletic career at Central Michigan University, where he will play football for the Chippewas.
"When the idea came of graduating early, December 19, was definitely in my mind all of the time and just counting down the days was super exciting," Guthrie said. "Now that the day has finally come, it's a relief and it's good to officially be a college athlete."
Guthrie's journey to becoming a Chippewa was special for the Alpena football standout.
From not wanting to play high school football, to spending countless hours perfecting his craft over the past four years, Guthrie spent the past year and a half enjoying his recruiting process.
"There was a lot of hard work put in and people pushing me, parents, coaches, my teammates that helped me get to this point," Guthrie said. "I'm glad it's all led up to this and I'm excited for the future."
His work during the offseason and on the gridiron led him to being recruited by former Central Michigan University football coach John Bonamego.
Guthrie received his first Division 1 offer from Bonamego on June 20.
A few months later, Guthrie verbally committed to play football for the Chippewas under Bonamego.
Less than a month ago, Bonamego was fired after CMU finished 1-11 this season, but the program brought in Jim McElwain to lead the Chippewas next season and beyond.
"For the past several months I was always dreaming about playing for coach Bonamego and the Chippewas and it was upsetting to see him leave, but I was always skeptical on who they were going to hire and once I realized it was Jim McElwain, a former SEC coach, that was just huge for the program," Guthrie said. "Once I was able to meet coach McElwain and learn how he teaches his leadership and what he expects from his players, I was excited. With him coming in fresh, there's always a chance for everyone to have a starting spot, so I have a better chance of getting on the field in a quicker time and I think coach McElwain will put me in a position to be successful."
The Chippewas are getting one of the best football players to come through the Alpena program.
Guthrie left his mark as a Wildcat, finishing his career as Alpena's all-time leading rusher with 2,700 yards.
Guthrie finished with 25 career touchdowns and earned Big North Conference honors each of his three years at the varsity level.
As good as Guthrie was in Alpena's Wing-T offense, it was his work on the defensive side of the ball that caught the eye of college coaches.
Guthrie was recruited to be a linebacker and will head to CMU with the goal of earning a starting spot on the defensive side of the ball.
"It was great to set the records here, but I'm just hoping the leadership is passed on to some of the juniors and they're able to keep the offense and defense rolling the way I was able to," Guthrie said. "I hope there's a lot of other players that come out of Alpena and go off to the collegiate level. Ultimately, I hope I'm able to leave not just a record mark on the school, but a leadership mark and an example of what Alpena athletes are all about."
Guthrie is the first Alpena football player in nearly three decades to go play football at the Division 1 level.
Jeremy Dunlap, a 1990 graduate of Alpena High is believed to be the most recent Wildcat to take his football talents to the Division 1 level where he also played for CMU from 1990-1994.
Guthrie is also believed to be just one of six Alpena High football players since 1949 to go play football at the Division 1 level and is the fifth to play for the Chippewas.
"Logan is a true football player and we can't wait until he gets to CMU," McElwain said. "He is very strong and plays with a great motor and intensity."