Rochester, N.Y. (WHAM) — A football star from the Rochester City School District announced his college choice Friday.
Messiah Hampton, a junior at Monroe High School, announce his commitment to the University of Oregon.
BACKGROUND: Bright Spot: RCSD athlete selected to participate in Super Bowl week competition
Hampton is listed as the top football recruit in all of New York state by both Rivals and 247Sports.
Rivals ranks him as the No. 10 wide receiver in the entire country, while 247 ranks him 11th.
Hampton, a first-team all-state and All-Greater Rochester selection last fall, still has one season left of high school football. He and his Monroe teammates are eyeing the first state title in RCSD history.
He also hopes to serve as a role model to other kids from the city.
“I just want young kids out there to see if I could do it, you could do it,” Hampton said. “I’m from Silver Street, Brown Street, Genesee, that area of the city. Everything y’all go through, I went through. It’s hard to not follow the wrong crowd. It’s easy to follow the wrong crowd, so it’s hard to be different and set yourself aside and be like ‘I want to do something better for my family and my community.’ I just want all the kids out here to see ‘Messiah did it. Messiah did it. I could do it.'”
