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Everything is bigger in Texas: Kennedy’s Patrick Valent officially commits to Rice University

Staff photo / Brian Yauger Warren JFK’s Patrick Valent sits in front of friends, family, teammates and coaches before signing his National Letter of Intent on Wednesday at the high school. Valent is heading to Rice University to continue his football career.

WARREN — They say everything’s bigger in Texas.

Patrick Valent, the 6-foot-4, 280 pound lineman, has been a larger-than-life presence for Kennedy, on and off the field, over the last four years. He just made his next step official, opting to go to the Lone Star State and play for Rice University.

“It’s awesome to be able to experience this with all my family, friends and most importantly my teammates and coaches that you’ve done so much with over the last four years,” Valent said. “It all culminates into this celebration. It’s just really special to be able to celebrate with my teammates, because this is just as much a reward for me as it is for them because they’re a huge part of my individual successes.”

In his time with the Eagles, Valent helped guide the Eagles to a combined 40-12 record, four playoff trips, three state final four appearances, and two state runner-up trophies.

This is the first time Kennedy has had an early signee to a Division I program, so it’s a big milestone for a program that looks to keep building on its previous successes. Dom Prologo, Valent’s coach over the last three seasons, highlighted exactly what kind of player will be suiting up in a Rice jersey next fall.

“Pat’s earned it. He’s put in four years here at Kennedy and I’m excited to see what he does at the next level,” Prologo said. “I think that they’re getting a steal with Pat Valent. They’re getting a kid who works his butt off in the weight room, which is as an offensive lineman, I don’t know if there’s anything more important. They’re getting a kid who’s nasty and tough, the other really important thing as an offensive lineman, and a kid who’s smart. In his senior year, what he showed us as far as what he can be as a leader when we needed him to be, he’s a great leader. They’re getting the whole package.”

Valent now goes from an Eagle to an Owl. The three-star recruit committed to Rice back in May, but put pen to paper on Wednesday.

The Rice signee garnered interest from colleges all across the country including West Point, Dartmouth, Maine, Akron, and Air Force.

Valent’s name was floating around for a few years now, and he had a sense of relief knowing the recruiting process was over. Rice was actually the first school to extend an offer and Valent found that to be a really special thing.

“The recruiting process is pretty stressful,” he said. “Sitting there my junior year before anything happened right after we ended the season last year, it’s kind of stressful. You’re waiting to see what happens. You don’t really know what is expected of schools and Rice was my first offer. There was a lot of respect there and that really affected my decision because having a school believe in you first means a lot and it meant a lot to me. I’m a pretty loyal person so I think that was a big part of my decision.”

When asked about his favorite part about visiting Rice in the times he’s been down there, Valent mentioned two things. One was that it felt like home. The other was the wide variety of food he could find in Houston.

“I love the food,” Valent said. “Every time I visited Houston, they’ve got some great food down there. A lot of cultural diversity, and you can get any type of food you want in Houston. I felt like I was home. Even though you’re 1,100 miles away, I felt like I was home and I didn’t get that feeling anywhere else, even places that were half an hour away.

“I’m just really grateful that I’m going to a place where I’m gonna be able to feel at home. Texas is an awesome place. It’s hot, but everything’s bigger in Texas and they play some good football in Texas too, so I’m really excited.”

While at Rice, Valent plans on majoring in business with a focus in sports management. His goal is to earn a master’s degree from Rice.

As Valent prepares to depart to the state where everything is bigger, Valent’s favorite memories playing for the Eagles were the little things. As special as two trips to the state finals were, it was the little moments with his team that really left a mark.

“It’s emotional closing that chapter of my story here at Kennedy,” Valent said. “My greatest memories will always be just being here in the summer practicing with the guys, enjoying that company. The summer is great, because you’re building, there’s a lot of uncertainty and you’re just building and you’re just playing, you just go out here every day, you’re able to practice with the guys, knowing you’ve got a lot more practices.

“Obviously looking back on it now, you never had as many as you thought you did, so I’m really grateful for all of the little moments in my story at Kennedy. I’m grateful for all my teammates and people that have been able to experience it with.”

Valent’s “Blue Pride” will be on full display in two ways now. The new blue he’ll be donning down in Houston, and of course, the blue of his alma mater back home.

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