Matt Peedin signs with UNC Pembroke

By Andrew Stevens
Published in Sports on February 7, 2014 1:47 PM

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astevens@newsargus.com

PRINCETON -- Matt Peedin's time in a Princeton High uniform is over, but he won't ever leave the program.

His future home, UNC Pembroke, has numerous similarities.

"I went to their football camp this summer," Peedin, who signed a national letter-of-intent with the Braves on Thursday morning.

"I really enjoyed their campus, their coaching and the way they run things. It reminded me of the way (Princeton) Coach (Derrick) Minor runs Princeton football. The main thing for me was no cussing, and there's a lot of respect and they emphasize doing the right things."

Peedin also considered three Division III programs -- Guilford, N.C. Wesleyan and Randolph-Macon.

A 6-foot-3, 270-pound offensive and defensive tackle, Peedin helped lead Princeton to 14 victories during Minor's two seasons as head coach. The Bulldogs recorded four playoff wins and reached the N.C. High School Athletic Association 1-A (small-school) east final in 2012.

Peedin spent time at both the left and right tackle spots on Princeton's offensive line. The unit paved the way for 5,759 yards of total offense and 77 touchdowns. Highly-recruited junior tailback Johnny Frasier rushed for a single-season school-record 3,042 yards and 45 TDs.

"I feel like whenever (Johnny) scores, the whole team scores," Peedin said. "If we block for him like we're supposed to do, he's definitely going to go down the field. Johnny gives us a lot of credit. It feels good to know that someone like him isn't selfish."

Peedin worked to become a better pass blocker and improve his ability to get around defensive linemen during the summer. The coaching staff graded out Peedin at 90 percent or higher in nine of 13 games this past season.

He also had 15 pancake blocks.

"Matt was the heart and soul of this program for the past two years," Minor said. "He set the expample for the younger guys on how to do the right things and work hard every day. I am a better coach for knowing Matt."

UNC Pembroke finished 9-2 overall last fall and reached the second round of the NCAA Division II playoffs. Peedin plans to major in athletic training with hopes of becoming an athletic trainer.