By KEVIN ECKLEBERRY

Daily News

There wasn’t much Jacob Freeman didn’t do during his time as a Callaway Cavalier.

Freeman, who got his first taste of varsity football as a freshman, has been a quarterback, wide receiver, safety, kick returner, and even ocasionally a running back over the past four seasons.

That versatility, combined with Freeman’s ability to make big plays, made him a popular player on the recruiting trail.

Earlier this week Freeman put an end to the recruiting process when he verbally committed to Georgia State, and he made it official during a ceremony in the Callaway High gymnasium on Wednesday.

Freeman, with teammates, coaches, friends and family members there to share the moment with him, signed his letter of intent with Georgia State.

Freeman will have some familiar faces at the Atlanta school.

Already at Georgia State are former Callaway Cavaliers Courtney Williams and Hunter Williamson, as well as Troup graduate Jamari Thrash.

“I’ll have people there that I’ve known, that I’ve had a chance to get comfortable around,” Freeman said. “That’ll help a lot.”

For the Freeman family, a signing ceremony is nothing new.

Jacob Freeman’s oldest brother, KeShun Freeman, was a four-year starter at Georgia Tech, and he’s preparing for his debut season in the XFL with the D.C. Defenders.

Another one of his brothers, Michael Freeman, will be a senior linebacker at Mercer next season.

“It’s déjà vu,” Jacob Freeman said. “I used to be envious of them. I was proud, but I wanted my own moment, and now I get to be a part of that tradition.”

Callaway head coach Pete Wiggins is grateful for everything Jacob Freeman has done for the program, and the school.

“Through Jacob’s career, he’s been very versatile,” Wiggins said. “He’s played a lot of positions on offense, on defense, on special teams. He’s been very successful. He’s worked to excel on the field, and he does a great job in the school building leading. I’m really proud of him.”

Two of Callaway’s seniors, Freeman and Cartavious “Tank” Bigsby, began playing when they were freshmen.

Matt Napier, Callaway’s offensive coordinator, knew early on what he had in those two.

“We knew those two guys were so special when they came in, from the get-go,” Napier said. “They came in in the spring as practice players on the scout team. You just immediately said wow. The amount of plays Jacob made, he’s special, whether he was playing quarterback, or free safety. That says a lot about him as a team player, his desire.”

Napier said Freeman’s mindset has always been to do whatever will help the team, whether that’s throwing passes, or catching them.

“He always said I’ll do whatever the team needs,” Napier said. “It speaks volumes about his personal integrity to be able to handle that stuff and still be a contributor in a big-time way. That makes it easier.”

Freeman, who had numerous options when it came time to choose a college, was sold on Georgia State after meeting with Shawn Elliott, the team’s head coach for the past three years.

“I sat in the office with him, and I thought this guy really means business,” Freeman said.