Tatman signing

Hayden Tatman signed with University of the Cumberlands last week. (Photo by Chris Wilson/East Jessamine High School / February 13, 2013)

East Jessamine’s Hayden Tatman signed on to play football at NAIA powerhouse University of the Cumberlands last week.

“They’re good; they run stuff in the NAIA,” Tatman said. “I just want to play for a good team.”

After playing all over the field on both sides of the ball at East Jessamine, Tatman will settle into the defense at University of the Cumberlands, red-shirting as a freshman and hoping to get onto the field as a linebacker the following year.

Tatman said his teammates at East in previous years had helped him be prepared to move on to the college game.

“All the guys that I played with above me have all went on (to play in college), and they were all pretty tough and pushed me hard,” he said.

The Cumberlands football team went 10-2 last season, losing in the second round of the NAIA playoffs.