31 Jul 2024 Youth of the Month: Greyson Ealy

By Becky Bell

Greyson Ealy, 19, has thus far never encountered a sport he didn’t like. His parents introduced him to baseball at an early age, and he later became interested in basketball while attending Quitman High School.

One day during basketball practice, DJ Marrs, Quitman High School football coach, and other football coaches were keeping their eyes on him when he was practicing his skills on the basketball court.

“They saw me dunking and approached me about playing football,” Ealy said. “I didn’t know I would be any good at it when I first started playing, but it pretty quickly became my favorite sport. I really owe it to my coaches. I didn’t know much going on, but the coaches stayed on me, and I had a lot of practice with the team and with the senior quarterbacks the two years I played in high school.”

All his work on his sports, including track, led to a full scholarship at Ouachita Baptist University. “I’m very proud and pretty confident with the work I put in and the knowledge instilled in me from my coaches,” he said. “Although I am always a little nervous, I am confident about new adventures, but really just excited.”

Marrs is looking forward to seeing what impact Ealy will make on the football field at Ouachita Baptist University. “Greyson is a kid who has truly left his mark on our athletic programs. He’s selfless and is one of those people who leaves everything better than he found it,” he said. “We may be watching him play football for many more years to come.

When Ealy was not playing sports, he was enjoying his favorite school subject—science, which he says relates to what he would like to be when he finishes college. He wants to be either an athletic trainer or a football coach, pulling for the students on the field just as they have for him. “My favorite subject in school is definitely science,” Ealy said. 

“Being an athlete, the way the human body works and learning what it takes to make it tick has always been interesting to me. I think it is so cool how complex the body is and how it is so interconnected.”

Quitman High School Principal Michael Stacks said Ealy has been a standout both on and off the field and he expects him to have a bright future.

“Greyson’s positive impact on Quitman Public Schools will be felt for many years to come; he’s raised the bar for all future athletes and student leaders,” Stacks said. “He’s a charismatic leader and a selfless human being whose potential is limitless.”

During high school and even now before his fall term begins, Ealy has worked as a summer worker at the high school, doing tasks such as cleaning the classrooms, maintaining flower beds and even mowing—his favorite physical task. But the best part about the work is the students he gets to be around, he said. “My favorite part is getting to sit down and fellowship with my friends I’ve had over the years,” he said. 

Despite his talent in academics and sports, Ealy remains humble and said his gifts aren’t something he has any control over. “God has played the biggest role of anything in my life. I wouldn’t be blessed with the opportunities I have right now without God,” he said. “I have faith in staying humble and believe in treating others like you would like to be treated.”