Lebanon's Bridges signs with Marian
May 15—LEBANON — Eli Bridges has put in the work to be the best football player he could be during his time as a Lebanon Tiger, willing to contribute any way he could to help the team have success.
That work ethic has earned him the opportunity to play at the next level, and the Lebanon lineman is staying close to home to continue his academic and football careers at Marian University.
Bridges had a signing ceremony at the school on Wednesday afternoon.
"It feels good to finalize it," Bridges said on Wednesday. "My brother Austin was kind of my guide through the entire recruiting process, and this was a school we looked at early. They started showing more interest later, which was great and as soon as I visited, I knew I wanted to go there."
Marian is an NAIA school that plays in the Crossroads League.
They finished 9-2 last season under head coach Ted Karris Jr., making the NAIA Tournament for the sixth-straight season.
"They have a pretty good Lebanon connection, which is nice," Bridges said. "(Offensive line coach Dan) Smith brought my down on a visit by myself and they really invested in me."
Bridges played on both lines at Lebanon.
On the offensive line, Bridges help the Tigers rush for more than 150 yards a game and 23 touchdowns, gaining 5.6 yards a carry.
Defensively he chipped in with 25 tackles, including two for a loss and forced a fumble.
"They really liked my work ethic," Bridges said. "They liked my play style to and how I can play 'dirty' and do the little things."
Bridges said in the off-season, he has been focused on improving his footwork and speed prior to moving on to the next level.
And when thinking back to his time at Lebanon, the thing that will stick out most to him is the relationship he was able to build with head coach Jeff Smock, and how the coach always supported him.
"Coach Smock is what I am I going to remember," Bridges said. "He was here all four years and has done a great job with the team. He brought out the best in me.
Bridges plans on studying business.
Will Willems is the Sports Editor of the Lebanon Reporter. Follow him on Twitter @Will_Willems.
