Nicholas leads way to St. Augustine's

Aiken offensive lineman Lester Nicholas signed to play football at St. Augustine’s College. Pictured, from left, are his mother, Marlo Nicholas; Nicholas; his father, Lester Nicholas; and his nephew, Jalen. Staff photo by by Jeremy Timmerman.

Lester Nicholas has used his big frame to create opportunities for teammates at Aiken High School. On Wednesday, he used it - and his prowess off the field - to open one for himself by signing to play football at St. Augustine's College in Raleigh, N.C.

Aiken head coach Carey Johnson said that the Falcons, an NCAA Division-II program and member of the CIAA, would benefit from several of Nicholas' assets.

"His size is the first good thing," Johnson said of the 6-foot-4, 330-pound offensive lineman. "His smarts ... he can be a coach out there for the offensive line."

Johnson also said that Nicholas had leadership skills that have been important during his time as a Hornet.

"Lester has been a great leader on and off the field, in the classroom," Johnson said. "He's just a great young man. We're glad good things could happen for him."

Nicholas said that the Aiken coaching staff has taught him those leadership skills.

"In football, they helped me become a leader," he said. "They just helped me learn how to apply myself when I needed to."

The senior also received attention from Clemson, Duke, Georgia Tech and South Carolina State. But he chose his scholarship opportunity at St. Augustine's to major in sports medicine because of perceptions he got from a visit.

"It seemed like they were real good people when I went up there," Nicholas said. "I just liked the atmosphere."

Nicholas and his father, also named Lester, both said that, while the Falcon coaching staff hadn't said where on the line Nicholas would play, the odds of him starting as a freshman were around a "98 percent chance."

"They said I've got a pretty good chance of starting," Nicholas shared.

When Nicholas isn't playing football, he's a member of the varsity basketball team. His father said that the Falcon coaching staff was aware of his two-sport abilities, and Nicholas will have a chance to continue using them.

"They told him that he would have an opportunity to try out for the (basketball) team," the elder Nicholas said.

Jeremy Timmerman is a copy editor and sports writer at the Aiken Standard.