Bowling Green’s Hampton Creel has signed a letter of intent to attend Mississippi College and play football for the Choctaws.

“It was kind of one that I’ve known the college pretty much all of my life,” Creel said. “My dad (Brandon Creel) and my uncle (Bradley Creel) played football there. That’s kind of what I want to do, keep the tradition going. The coaches started talking to me last summer. Coach (John) Bland (head coach) and coach (Edgar) Weiser (offensive line coach), they are great coaches.”

The center said he’s just excited to keep playing football.

“Football has been part of my life since I was a little kid,” Creel said. “When we finished up this season, I kind of like lost my routine. I don’t know where I’d be without football. I’m going to walk in, work my hardest and try to make everybody down here proud.”

Creel comes from a family of national champions.

His father and uncle played on Mississippi College’s national championship team. That year, his dad was a redshirt sophomore and his uncle was a true freshman. His grandfather, Phillip Creel, played for Northwestern State University on the Demons’ national title team.

Creel started at center for two seasons at Bowling Green — his junior and senior years — and he was second-team all-district both years.

“He was just one of those guys you could depend on,” Bowling Green coach David Currier said. “He’s stable. He’s not the biggest or strongest, but he’s a team player. He’s got great grades academically. He has a high grade-point (average) and a high ACT. He’ll fit into their system well.”

Creel’s ACT score is a 28 and he has a 4.0 grade-point average.

He plans on going to business school and majoring in marketing and public relations.

Creel said academics are the No. 1 priority.

“In my family, it’s academics, then sports,” Creel said. “My mom is really big on grades. If we don’t have the grades, we have to cut back on the sports.”