Jelani Roberts and Alonzo Mayo were best friends long before they played football at Gilman. Robert Branch and Jahee Jackson didn't meet until they got to Gilman.
Now both sets of Greyhounds will take their friendships with them to college. On Wednesday, Roberts and Mayo signed national letters of intent to play at Northwestern while Branch and Jackson signed to play at James Madison.
Roberts and Mayo met when they were 10 years old, playing recreation football, and although they didn't set out to go to college together, they were thrilled when it worked out that way.
"Jelani was committed first. I think Coach [Biff] Poggi told us both together that they offered me after they offered him," Mayo said. "I was just so excited to get the opportunity to play with one of my best friends again. We've been best friends since we were 10, all throughout middle school, high school and to just continue that relationship is a great thing for me and I think for both of us."
Roberts nodded in agreement.
Roberts has a 4.3 GPA and plans to be an engineer. Mayo has a 3.6 and wants to major in economics.
On the football field, Roberts, an All-Metro first-team athlete, is a speedster who had 1,625 total yards and 16 touchdowns last fall, running the ball, returning kicks and catching passes. Mayo, an All-Metro first-team cornerback, led the team in interceptions.
Both found a perfect fit with the Wildcats.
Northwestern "is the best of both worlds, a top-notch academic institution, so just to have the opportunity to play Big Ten football and get a top-notch education -- you can't beat that," Roberts said.
Branch and Jackson haven't known each other as long, but they're just as happy to be going away to college with a friend.
"We both came in as freshman to Gilman, but going to college, it just kind of worked out that way," Jackson said.
Jackson got the first offer late in the summer and Branch got his offer from the Dukes coaches in November.
"They said they were trying to recruit some other people to make their defense good," Jackson said, "because originally I was recruited as a defensvie linemen and I was telling them about our team. Then they found out about Robert. They were talking to the [Gilman] coaches and they said we've got to recruit this guy. We need him down here."
Jackson said he will play on the offensive line and Branch was recruited as a strong safety.
"The decision for me [was] the same as for Jahee," Branch said. "After one of my visits, that's when I made the commitment. The offer came a few months before it. We took our official in January and then, going through the whole college process, narrowed it down and JMU was the place for me to go."
Both said they're looking forward to four more years of playing together.
"I think it's great," Jackson said. "Our official visit was crazy because nobody really knew each other but obviously we knew each other. I think it would be great, especially if we room together."
Gilman quarterback Kai Locksley signed with Texas and lineman Michael Perry, who overcame several hip surgeries to keep playing, signed with Chicago. Wide receiver Amyhr Barber also cemented his commitment to Williams College.