Franklin County alums head to senior institutions

Two Franklin County High School alumni — Ryan Turner and Jessie Shorts — returned to their alma mater on Wednesday, Dec. 21 to announce their respective intentions to further their post-secondary studies and to play football at the next level.

On Feb. 5, 2020, then-FC senior Turner formally signed his intentions to become part of the Southwest Mississippi Community College family after graduation.

Last week, Turner returned home to announce he would next be headed to Alcorn State University.

“It’s basically home for me because my mom went to school there and my sister is going there,” Turner said of his choice to attend the historic institution.

In regards to ASU football, he said the championship mindset of the program proved to be a tremendous draw for him.

“When it comes down to it, (Alcorn) just knows how to win and there is a lot of consistency in building a competitive (football) program every year,” Turner went on to say.

A visit to Alcorn’s campus in Lorman helped seal the deal with Turner knowing where he would go after wrapping up his time at the community college in Summit.

At Southwest, Turner said he learned a great deal about balance — especially when it came to his classes and playing football for the Bears.

“For me, coming from a small school like Franklin County, going juco was the best step that I could have taken and would recommend it to anyone,” he continued.

“There was a great deal of learning there — especially when it came to responsibility because if you don’t have that, you’re not going to make it.”

Turner’s mother, La’Keisha Costley, said she shared in her son’s enthusiasm for attending Alcorn and that she had said more than a few prayers for him to find a place to further his education.

“It was probably more of a light prayer that if (God) wanted to bless someone, He could go ahead and send Ryan to Alcorn,” Costley said with a broad smile.

Costley said she and her cousin were the first two in their family to graduate from a university — her from Alcorn and her cousin from Jackson State.

“For my kids to choose to go (to Alcorn) is like we’re starting our own tradition there and that means a great deal to me,” she added. “I would love to see that go on down through the line.”

Turner plans to further his studies at Alcorn in technology — specifically robotics, which is something he initially delved into during his high school years.

As part of the FCHS football program, the 6-foot-3, 250 pound Turner was a 7-3A All-District selection and had 67 defensive tackles with six receptions for 110 yards and three touchdowns on the offensive side of the ball in his senior season.

Shorts, who most recently attended Copiah-Lincoln Community College, has signed a letter of intent to attend Mississippi’s Delta State University in Cleveland.

He characterized his move as the logical choice to be part of a superior learning environment.

“I felt like I could learn a lot and grow there — especially when it comes to having the chance to win championships and having the opportunity to play at the next level,” Shorts said of the next step in his post-secondary career.

During his senior year at FCHS, Shorts collected 46 tackles and two sacks as he and his Bulldogs peers went 5-5 overall and made it to the first round of the Class 3A playoffs.

He was also a 7-3A All-District selection during his senior campaign.

On Feb. 3, 2021, the 6-foot-5, 275 pound Shorts inked a letter of intent to play for Copiah-Lincoln Community College, where he was participant in 12 games over the course of two seasons with the Wolves.

He credited his time with the regional community college in Wesson with helping him focus on his goals.

“(Co-Lin) taught me about being professional and what it takes to win beyond high school,” he said. “I have also been studying sociology and want to continue that at Delta State.”

For Shorts’ family, the decision for their loved one to continue his education comes with a great deal of pride,

“I was really excited that he chose to say in-state and told him no matter where he went we would be there to support him,” Shorts’ mother, Yolanda Jenkins, said during last week’s announcement.

“He’s close to home with this decision and that’s a good thing, and will continue his studies and play football. As long as he is happy, I know we will all be happy for him.”

Shorts’ father, Greg, said his wish is for his son to find success in life and to accomplish all the things the college student wants to do.

Franklin County High School Head Football Coach B.J. Smithhart characterized both Turner and Shorts as quality players and exceptional men.

“There’s always a great deal of pride when you see two great guys have the chance to further their education and get the chance to play football at this level,” Smithhart said.

“We’ll be looking for big things from both of them not only in life, but what they will bring to those college football teams. I hope more of our kids will follow the lead of these young men.”