By Bobby Mathews, Sports Editor
CLAY — For much of the 2021 season, Ed Osley was overlooked by college scouts. Never mind that he rushed for more than 2,000 yards. Never mind that he averaged 140 yards per game while often sitting out the second half. Never mind the 35 touchdowns.

Clay-Chalkville athletes Javen Hunter, Ed Osley and Lamar Croskey signed scholarships on National Signing Day, Wednesday, February 2, 2022. (Photo by Bobby Mathews)
The senior Cougar running back got the last laugh. Osley, the MVP of Clay-Chalkville’s 2021 6A state championship game and member of the Alabama Sports Writers’ All-State team, signed a scholarship on National Signing Day, committing to play for the University of Tennessee-Martin. It’s the next step in the career of a remarkable student athlete.
“It’s a lot. I’ve been dreaming about this since I was in middle school,” Osley said. “To just be able to play football and go to college. It really and truly means a lot. I’m proud of myself.”
Osley has reason to be. For Cougar football coach Drew Gilmer, Osley — as well as teammate Lamar Croskey — is an example of what a football player should be.
“They’re what Clay-Chalkville is all about,” Gilmer said. “They made us better every single day. They’re phenomenal kids.”
UTM became a contender for Osley on an official visit.
“It was really nice up there,” he said. “Nice school, nice community. Everybody was genuine up there, and I feel it was the right fit for me.”
Also signing on Wednesday was Croskey, whose defensive play and selfless attitude led the Cougars’ stop unit during the 2021 season. Croskey chose to sign with Independence Community College in Independence, Kansas. The senior defensive back was an outspoken leader on the Cougars’ defense.
“On the field, I’m a lot of talking, but on the sideline I’m paying attention to the game,” Croskey said. “I just think that Independence is the best choice for me and my family right now, and after two years there, I’m going to transfer to another school after that.”
“Lamar brought the juice every single day in practice,” Gilmer said. “And this is the kind of kid, the kind of player he is: We had a couple of injuries late in the playoffs, and one day he called me and said ‘Wherever you need me to play, whatever you need me to do, I’ll do it.'”
Cougar baseball standout Javen Hunter signed with Alabama A&M. Hunter transferred to Clay-Chalkville in January of 2021, and made an immediate impact. He batted more than .300 for his junior season and had an on-base percentage of .500. Hunter was second on the team in doubles, third in runs scored and stole 22 bases.
In the field, Hunter was a versatile player who could play at any position, putting in time in the middle infield and at all three outfield positions. Hunter also took the mound for the Cougars, recording 30 innings pitched and 36 strikeouts.
“You don’t get up here (signing a college scholarship) by accident,” Clay-Chalkville baseball coach Landon Robinson said.
Hunter transferred from 1A Cornerstone, but it didn’t take much for him to adjust. After the first day of practice with his new team, Hunter grabbed a tee and rounded up teammates who wanted to hit afterward.
“It was a big transition,” Hunter said. “Guys were throwing faster, big transition. My end goal is to make it to MLB and get drafted one day, so I really have to put in a lot of work, because there’s a million more guys trying to get to that stage, too.”
Hunter said he chose Alabama A&M because “… it felt like home. I liked the coaches, and I felt like I would be an asset to the team.”
He’s got a record of being an asset to his teams. Hunter, who’s been playing baseball since he was around nine years old, is one of those players whose dedication is obvious to teammates, coaches and recruiters.
“When he showed up, I’d heard he had colleges looking at him,” Robinson said. “The first few days of practice, you could see why. He’s a super hard worker. Summer and fall, he’s asking for someone to throw him batting practice or someone to hit him ground balls, fly balls, whatever. He shows up every day at practice and gives 100 percent every single day.”