When Reinhardt University embarked on the creation of a football program, success was not guaranteed. Yet no one expected the grand success both on the field and in the classroom that Reinhardt Eagles football has enjoyed during its brief five-year history.

In December, the team competed for the first time in the NAIA Football National Championship Game in Daytona Beach, Florida vs. the University of Saint Francis (IN).

When we approved adding football as an intercollegiate sport at Reinhardt University, we were steadfast in implementing a program where character as a person and grades in the classroom were just as important as performance on the field. We wanted well-rounded athletes representing Reinhardt University, said Billy Hasty, chair of the Reinhardt University Board of Trustees.

Prior to the May 2011 Board of Trustees approval, the University established a committee of students, faculty, staff, and community members to explore the option of adding football. Hasty said that the one thing stakeholders expressed was the desire that the University maintain its strong Christian values.

All of this foresight and planning is something that Reinhardt Athletic Director Bill Popp believes has led to the programs success. Doing our football study one year prior to starting really let us hit on important points that we wanted to succeed with early, Popp said. Hiring an experienced coach who would be able to handle a large class of freshmen and then to make sure we emphasized character and academic success as two very important program goals.

The experienced coach the University hired was Dr. Danny Cronic who has more than thirty years of experience as a head football coach and had already been named to the Coweta County and Cherokee County Sports Halls of Fame, and Cronic was used to working with young student athletes.

Cronic is not surprised by the teams fast-paced success and said he told University officials when he was hired that if they gave him the ability to hire good coaches and assistants that the team would be successful. That support from the administration was granted, and the Eagles football team took flight.

Cronic coached for two seasons before handing the reins over to his son, Drew Cronic. Drew Cronic coached for two more years, and then current head football coach James Miller took the helm in January 2017, who took the team to the National Championship in his first year as head coach. Miller gives the credit of success to the student athletes, the assistant coaches and his predecessors, Danny and Drew Cronic.

While the team has been successful on the field, academics and character are of the utmost importance to Reinhardt leadership past and present. Coaches, faculty, and staff are ensuring that the team doesnt lose sight of that goal.

The football teams overall grade point average (GPA) last fall was 3.11, with 97 of the 147 student athletes earning a 3.0 or better. Of those, 54 had a 3.5 GPA or better, and 18 had a perfect 4.0 GPA.

In the true nature of upholding Reinhardt Universitys mission, this team gives back to its community by volunteering in various Cherokee County schools, at the Goshen Valley Boys Ranch as well as other nonprofit organizations. The team has been recognized for its outstanding service on multiple occasions.

From the vision of a group of the Reinhardt University family just a few short years ago to the opportunity to compete in the National Championship title game, the Eagles tremendous success did not come without hard work, dedication, and perseverance.

Reinhardt University alumnus Gordon Thigpen spent his senior year at Reinhardt researching and interviewing people about the Universitys football program. Thigpen walked on to the team his freshman year and continued to play throughout his time at Reinhardt. The wide receiver had an inside look at the teams development, and he tells the story of a young football team destined for greatness. Thigpens book, Raising the Bar: The Story of Reinhardt University Football, is available in Kindle format and in paperback on Amazon.com.