Caruthersville recruit Monroe not attending SEMO

Caruthersville graduate Darrell Monroe, who signed a National Letter of Intent to play football at Southeast Missouri State on February 5, never joined the Redhawks as planned.

First-year Southeast football coach Tom Matukewicz said it's been "a process," but the freshman running back was academically an NCAA non-qualifier and will instead play football at the junior college level at Arizona Western College in Yuma, Arizona.

The Southeast football team reported for summer workouts June 1.

On June 23, Southeast sports information director Jeff Honza said in an email that Monroe had not been released from his scholarship and Saturday said in an email that Monroe was still on the Southeast football team.

Arizona Western College football coach Tom Minnick confirmed Wednesday that Monroe is enrolled at the school and participating in football workouts, and that he has been on campus since July 5 or 6.

"You would like because he's local, and we would love to have a Caruthersville player, but all along he knew there was some academic possibilities there, so I think as a football program it's hard to miss something you don't have," Matukewicz said. "We never had him on our team, so I don't see it affecting us at all other than you wish that a good local player could be on your team."

"I really liked Darrell, and even though he's got to go a different path I know he'll be successful," Matukewicz added.

Minnick said Monroe, who rushed for 1,430 yards on 130 carries and scored 25 touchdowns his senior season, was on his list of top seven running back recruits but could not get in contact with anyone at Caruthersville High School in January to set up a visit while in the area recruiting.

But when Minnick got a call about a month ago from a former coach of Monroe's he quickly remembered him.

"I mean, to tell you the truth, I think just from when I've seen him run around and do some stuff, I think he's going to be better than Southeast Missouri State," Minnick said. "Southeast Missouri State was just trying to get him -- it was kind of, you know, when kids are lacking a little bit academically and they can pick up a great kid, they'll sign a kid if he's on the border, where an SEC school or something like that won't touch him because they know they can't get him into school. A [Football Championship Subdivision] school will sit there and sign the kid so just in case he makes it, they get him. Darrell will end up way higher than [FCS] when he leaves here."

Minnick considers himself lucky to have snagged Monroe, who was the Semoball Awards Player of the Year for Football Offense and the SEMO Conference's Carr Trophy winner.

There have been 48 Arizona Western football players in the last three years to transfer to Football Bowl Subdivision schools, according to Minnick.

"Yeah, he's doing a good job," Minnick said. "We're lifting weights and running and stuff like that, and for a big kid he can run and move -- agile. It also speaks volumes what he did down there in high school. I mean, being the player of the year in that area and stuff like that. He's going to be a good one when it's all said and done."