It was all quiet on the college football front for Nansemond River High School senior defensive end Fred Dupree this past winter, and it seemed like he might have played his last game.

While there had been various options he had been weighing, “it kind of died down a little because (of) my SAT scores, so I had to improve those first,” he said. “Then, out of nowhere, I just got a call from Averett (University) in March, and it just took off from there.”

The call from Averett defensive coordinator/defensive line coach Pete Shaw came one night at 9:30 p.m., he requested to set up a meeting and things between Dupree and the school proceeded to go well.

A couple of months later, he officially signed to play for the Cougars at the next level.

“That was a pretty phenomenal moment, honestly,” Dupree said. “It was an eye-opener; it was a shocker. I was just speechless, actually. I was just happy.”

Nansemond River coach David Coccoli had sent out highlight films of his seniors to numerous colleges to help facilitate their recruitment, and Dupree’s film included a combination of his sacks and tackles for loss in the backfield.

Of Averett’s coaches, Dupree noted, “They said they liked the way I run and how I’m able to make plays and just the way I know how to move around the field.”

He expects to fill a role with the Cougars very similar to the one he filled for the Warriors’ defense.

“He’s a real good kid,” Coccoli said. “He worked extremely hard this year, so I expect he’ll do the same at the next level and be very successful.”

Prior to the call from Averett, Dupree had been considering going to Bridgewater College.

Additionally, “I was considering walking on at (Old Dominion University), the same with (Norfolk State University),” he said.

His mother, Tammy Dupree, said those would be quite difficult paths to take.

What gave Averett the edge over every other option is “they were really the ones that really called in,” Fred Dupree said. “They were really interested in me, I was really interested in them, so it was a mutual interest.”

His mother said Averett showed it was prepared for him to join its team.

“That made him feel a little bit more at ease,” she said.

She noted she and her son enjoyed the coaches at Averett, and she expressed great confidence in them.

“They’re a (Division III program), but these coaches just seemed so awesome that they can take him to another level,” she said.

Fred Dupree will be receiving a partial academic scholarship, and he plans to major in computer science.