By By Matthew Nascone
The next time Nakita Myles laces his cleats up for a season of football, he will be 1,200 miles away from home.
Myles, the Northview senior running back who holds the school records for career rushing yards, total touchdowns and all-purpose yards, signed a scholarship to play football for the Nassau Community College Lions Wednesday.
"It feels good to sign a scholarship," Myles said. "I am proud of myself and I am so glad to have all this support from my family and friends."
On hand to watch Myles sign the scholarship were his father, his mother, his sister, his nephew, some of his coaches, NHS principal Gayle Weaver, NHS assistant principal Mike Sherrill and many teammates and friends.
Nassau is located 19 hours away in Garden City, N.Y.
"I will get to meet a lot of new people and I will just have to get used to being so far from home," Myles said.
Myles ran his way into the record books and was named 2007 Atmore Advance Offensive Player of the Year last year, as well as 2007 MVP of the "Pensacola News Journal's" All-Area team.
He rushed for more than 1,100 yards and scored at least 15 touchdowns in each of his final three years at Northview. He was also a force on defense, compiling 47 tackles and five interceptions as a corner back his senior year.
The accolades have not stopped for Myles, and NHS head coach Cody Keene could not be more proud of Myles.
"He is so deserving of the opportunity to get his education and play football at the next level," Keene said. "He has worked hard all four years and he has done everything we have asked of him."
Myles has also made history within his family.
"I am so joyful and proud," Myles' mother, Myra Carter, said. "I always told him he would be the first member of our family to go to college and now that dream has come true. All my grace goes to his late grandfather Dave Walker Sr. for telling me that he would be somebody if we signed him up for football. I know he would be proud of Nakita now."
Carter said it was hard to let Myles sign with a school so far away from Florida.
"I was nervous about it for a while, but whatever Nakita wants to do, I will be there for him," she said. "God will be with him all the time and He will watch over him."
Myles' father had nothing but happy things to say about his son.
"I have been waiting to see this all my life," Charles Thomas said. "I think it is so wonderful that he is going to play college ball and I will always be there to back him up if he needs me."
Keene said the community college route should be a good way for Myles to further his career.
"This is a great opportunity for Nakita because he will have the opportunity to work on his grades and play football at the same time," Keene said. "He can play for two years and then move on to a larger school."