Liberty’s Polu gives verbal commitment to Army

By Paul Delos Santos

Tuesday, June 25, 2013 | 6:05 p.m.

Liberty lineman Jarvis Polu verbally committed to Army, Liberty coach Rich Muraco said Tuesday.

“It’s a prestigious institution,” Muraco said. “He’s making a career decision, looking big picture. I commend him for that.”

Polu comes from a military family — his dad served in the Army and always showed an interest in heading to West Point, as he wore an Army shirt during a workout earlier this year.

Polu entertained plenty of offers entering his senior season, however, including Wisconsin, UNLV, Idaho and UNR.

“He had quite a bit of choices,” Muraco said.

Rated a three-star prospect by Rivals.com and ESPN, Polu is projected to play on the defensive side of the ball, though Army recruited him as an athlete.

The 6-foot-4, 240-pound Polu is the third player from Liberty over the past two years to receive a Division I scholarship, joining former teammates Niko Kapeli (UNLV) and Kai Nacua (BYU).

While getting players to play at the next level is ideal, Muraco is all about promoting education.

“As a high school coach, obviously I want to get as many kids I can into college, and it’s not because I just want to get them a college football scholarship, and (I want) set them up for their life,” Muraco said. “We try to teach the kids and preach to them, ‘Keep your eye on the big picture and not just football.’”

Paul Delos Santos can be reached at 990-2416 or mail to [email protected]. Follow Paul on Twitter at twitter.com/pauliedelos.