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Milligans collegiate dreams to come true
Milligan-signing-2
Sean Milligan shakes hands with Coach Brian Brocato at Beef O’ Brady’s as his fellow Wildcat teammates stand by. - photo by Ross Blair

Four-year Wildcat football veteran Sean Milligan signed a letter of intent on May 14 to play football at Rockford College in Illinois.

"I feel really good about this," Milligan said. "I have no doubt that I’m signing with the right school today."

For the Cats, Milligan played running back and wishbone offense. He was honored with the Coaches Award at the recent RHHS football banquet.

"They run an offense very similar to what we ran in the past year," Wildcat coach Brian Brocato said. "They saw film of him, and I talked to his new coach about it. I told him Sean was strong and very coachable. He liked what he saw on film. After the coach met him, he called me back and I could tell he was more serious than ever about drafting Sean. Both I and his new coach agree that Rockford is a good fit for him."

Sean said he too was more intent on Rockford after visiting the team in Illinois.

"It’s a good opportunity for him," his dad Mike Milligan said. "They have a good curriculum for him to try to be what he wants to be – an educator and a coach. I remember when Sean first started soccer in the rec leagues. He hit everybody he could and made a full contact sport out of it (laughs). It was a no-brainer to steer him toward football. I coached him myself in rec for quite a few years, so I knew early on how athletic and determined he could be. He’s an effective weapon on that field. He’ll hit you with everything he’s got, and he loves it."

Both Sean’s parents say this has been Sean’s goal since he was very young. His dad spoke of Sean’s uncle who played at Carolina and how he "always looked up to him. I think that made his goal stronger."

A past school project that Milligan turned in seems to really detail his dedication and his focus as we worked to get where he is now.

His mother, Michelle Ebersoll, recalls a layout for his journalism class Sean did, called "Running Down a Dream". He had several old football pictures from different ages, starting when he was a nearly a baby. At the end, there is picture of him photoshopped into a picture of someone signing a collegiate athletic scholarship.

"That’s his dream and I’m so proud to see it coming true for him," Ebersoll said.

When asked what sparked his interest in the sport, Milligan said it was, "watching college football games when I was a kid. I looked up to the players of teams like UGA and Notre Dame. I wanted to be like them. I wanted to go out there, play on Saturday and live a little of the glory."

"I feel very fortunate to have gotten to know Sean over the last few months," Rockford Coach Mike Morrissey said. "To find a young man who demonstrates the determination, dedication and desire to be successful not only on the football field but also in the classroom is huge plus for any program to have."

Milligan is lined up to receive another huge honor in the coming months as he is up for review after turning in his final project for consideration of being deemed an Eagle Scout. The project entailed reflooring five bridges and landscaping around the concession stand at the Richmond Hill Recreation Department.

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