Kobe Griffin has been a force for the Charles Henderson defense from the safety position during his first three seasons. Because of that he will have a chance to represent Troy when he heads to Birmingham to attend school and play football at the University of Alabama at Birmingham next fall.

After attending a camp on campus in July, Griffin verbally committed to the Blazers.

“All the coaches were eating and I let them know that I had an announcement,” Griffin said. “I told them I wanted to be a Blazer.”

During the camp Griffin was put to the test. Among other drills, Griffin ran the 40-yard dash as well as the shuttle in front of the Blazer coaching staff.

Griffin immediately felt like home when he visited the campus in Birmingham. The surrounding’s the overall mood of the campus was an instant selling point for the senior.

“The campus was great,” Griffin said. “The atmosphere was great. I felt loved by all the coaches. The way they described the education made me want to go even more. It made me feel like I was at home.”

The UAB football program will start anew in 2016, and the Blazers will once again field a team beginning in 2017.

“It’s going to be a great thing,” Griffin said. “When I get up there everything will be brand new, and we will be starting from scratch.”

When Griffin arrived back in Troy to tell his Charles Henderson coaches and teammates of his decision, they were excited.

“They were very excited. Even the teachers,” Griffin said. “Everybody came up to me in the locker room and told me congrats. Some of the people jumped up.”

Griffin will have a formal signing at a date still to be announced.