By Mike Hutchens, UC Schools Communications Director
It was the ‘Small’ things that attracted Bethel University head football coach Chris Springer to the Union City High School campus.
There, he found Tornado defensive back Andre Small, who signed scholarship papers to play for the Wildcats on Wednesday.
“(He’s a) high character young man, in addition to being a really good football player,” Springer said when asked to describe Small. “There are other things, like his body frame and his experience, but just talking to other coaches and Coach (Wade) Maddox, they talked so much about the caliber of kid that he is, and that sealed the deal.”
Small – who racked up 162 career tackles from his secondary post during his Purple and Gold prep career – was a two-way starter his senior season for the Tornadoes in 2025. He ranked third on the team in tackles, despite missing a handful of games due to injury, and also rushed for 435 yards, which was No. 2 on the squad.
As a junior, Small was in on 87 tackles, which was second on the team. He also had six stops for lost yards and a pair of interceptions.
For his part, Small insisted he wasn’t ready to hang up the cleats after his high school playing days concluded.
“I have a lot of love for football. It gives me feelings that I haven’t gotten from anything else,” claimed the 5-10, 185-pound UCHS senior, who was joined by family and teammates while signing on the dotted line with BU Wednesday morning. “There’s just something about the game.
“I definitely learned a lot in high school, but I know I can be better. I feel Bethel is a good place for me because I can get back to my family if I need to. I’ll always have great memories from playing at Union City, and I plan on having even more in my time at Bethel.”
Springer said he hopes to “plug Small in” at safety and get a look at his talents on special teams upon his immediate arrival at BU.