The Tribune

THE Frank Rutherford Foundation and the Elite Bahamian Education Programme want to congratulate Mavin Saunders and his family, in particular, his parents, Elvis and Mavis Saunders on him signing a full athletic football scholarship with the 2013 national champions, Florida State Seminoles.

Saunders, 6-feet, 6-inches and 225 pounds, came to the Frank Rutherford Foundation Programme in Houston in 2009 at 13 years old for basketball and was developed into being one of the top five basketball recruits in his class with an early 9th grade commitment to play basketball for UCONN.

However, Saunders switched to playing football in his last two years of high school and has risen to being the No.2 tight end in the US.

On national signing day on Wednesday, Saunders signed his letter of intent and scholarship to attend Florida State University in which he is following two other Bahamians from the Frank Rutherford Foundation, Devard and Devaughn Darling.

Like the Darling twins, who signed to attend Florida State after they won the 1999 national championship, Saunders is following closely in that he has signed with the Seminoles after coming off the 2013 national championship.

Rutherford and his foundation continue to give young Bahamians opportunities of a lifetime to attend the biggest universities and sports powers in the United States second to nobody.

The foundation work that goes into the cultivation and development of our young Bahamians is extensive and requires a lot of assistance from people that the foundation calls on.

The foundation would like to thank coach Mario Bowleg, the Hernandez family, the St Marks School and the Kincaid School.