North’s Bohanon signs with Wake

DAVE DEVEREUX North High senior Tommy Bohanon will continue his education and football career at Wake Forest University. He signed a letter Friday with his parents, Audrey and Tom, at his side in front of coach Barry Goettemoeller (left) and AD Erik Timko (right).
Coming off an impressive junior season, North Fort Myers senior Tommy Bohanon already was fielding offers from several Division I football schools when new coach Barry Goettemoeller took over the Red Knights program last spring.
It didn’t take long for Goettemoeller to recognize what Bohanon brought to the team.
Aside from his physical skills, Bohanon became one of the leaders and tonesetters on the practice field as the Red Knights transitioned to a new coaching scheme.
“With all the change that was going on, he was a rock,” Goettemoeller said. “It would’ve been very easy for him to say ‘I got my D-I scholarship, I’m going to put it on cruise control,’ but he didn’t let that happen.”
Bohanon (6-foot-2, 240 pounds), who earned MVP honors in Wednesday’s Carrigan All-Star Football Classic, is set to take his game to the next level, after signing a scholarship with Wake Forest University.
Bohanon graduates from North in December and will report to Wake Forest in January for the second semester, and will take part in the Demon Deacons’ spring practice.
Bohanon said his decision came down to three schools, ultimately preferring Wake Forest over Michigan State and Louisville.
“It was everything combined,” he said Friday. “They have an amazing campus, a great academic program and a great football team. It just blew me away when I visited there.”
Bohanon plans to major in exercise science with a minor in business. Among his goals, in addition to football, is to run a business making athletes stronger at their sports.
On the field, Bohanon was recruited by Wake as a fullback. He has been a two-way standout the past three years for the Red Knights.
Bohanon began to emerge as a sophomore, particularly on the defensive side. He recorded 69 tackles and three sacks, helping the Red Knights post an 11-2 record and a District 5A-12 championship.
As a junior, after the graduation of Lee County all-time leading rusher Noel Devine, Bohanon became more of a factor in the offensive backfield under coach James Iandoli. He gained 623 yards and scored nine touchdowns, and led the team in tackles from his linebacker spot.
Bohanon continued his strong play as a senior. One of his signature performances came in the season finale against Ida Baker. He recorded 11 tackles, a sack, and scored the game-winning touchdown in a 35-28 double-overtime win.
Goettemoeller, who came to North from Ohio, said he’s known Wake coach Jim Grobe since his days coaching at Ohio University.
Goettemoeller believes Bohanon will fit in well with his style of coaching.
“He loves the fullback,” Goettemoeller said, “and Tommy is an old-school, throwback fullback.”