Two Aspen High Skiers defy the odds to sign and play college football

Football recruits on the Western Slope don’t always receive a lot of attention from big college programs, and Aspen High School knows the challenges as well as any.

But with two current AHS seniors signing on Wednesday to continue with the sport after graduation, it paints a new picture on what is possible.

“It was great. It was huge, not just for me, but for my family, for my teammates, my coaches, and just the community as a whole,” Aspen’s Henry Hurd said of the national signing day ceremony held inside the AHS gymnasium. “I had to reach out to a lot of coaches and then put up good film and numbers, especially my junior year.”

---

---

Hurd joined teammate Alec Slesinger-Hall on Wednesday at the short ceremony. He signed to play for Rhode Island’s Brown University, while Slesinger-Hall will head to Colorado Mesa University in Grand Junction.

It’s not known when the last time AHS had two football recruits sign in the same class. Even having one player sign for the sport is a rarity.

---

---

“Henry is one of my best friends, and the fact that we can enjoy it together and for each other, it means a lot. It really helps our brotherhood,” Slesinger-Hall said. “As for the future, kids are starting to realize that even if we are a small 2A (school) in Colorado, there is a lot of talent down here that should get recognized. If you want to go play in college, you totally can.”

Hurd, who is listed as being in the 6-foot-5, 215-pound range, emerged as one of the better football recruits in AHS history following a strong junior season. He had offers from Notre Dame and Northwestern but chose Brown over fellow Ivy League school Princeton. Located in Providence, Brown is an NCAA Division I program — playing in the Football Championship Subdivision, or FCS — led by offensive guru James Perry as head coach.

Hurd will play tight end for the pass-happy Bears. According to MaxPreps, he caught 44 passes for 803 yards and 13 touchdowns as a junior.

“Brown was my first offer, so that meant a lot. And it was the best fit academically and athletically,” he said. “As a big receiver slash tight end — a big pass catcher — they throw the ball 47, 48 times a game. It’s the perfect fit for me in that way as well.”

He said he will concentrate on business and psychology in his studies but hasn’t yet homed in on a true career path. He’s also a standout player for the highly ranked AHS basketball team this winter and might play baseball for the Skiers this spring.

As for Slesinger-Hall, he chose Division II Mesa over Gunnison’s Western Colorado University, where he’ll most likely be an outside linebacker or general edge rusher. He can also play tight end — a role he could continue in college. He was listed as being 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds in high school.

“In the past, players have transferred to bigger schools for more exposure,” he said, “and I don’t believe that is necessary. If you can play, coaches will find you.”

Slesinger-Hall plans to study construction management at Mesa, and it was the major’s availability that proved to be a key deciding factor in choosing to head to Grand Junction.

“They are two very different schools, different areas, so it was a big decision, to say the least. Each spot had things I liked and didn’t like,” he said. “I didn’t want it to feel like another Aspen, kind of like how Gunnison is, another small ski town. I really wanted to get out there, have a nice big campus, big school, big town.”

Also signing on Wednesday was Basalt High School’s Kody Barton, who will play collegiate baseball for Ottawa University in Kansas.

The Longhorns also have two seniors likely headed to play college football in William Daniel and Taylor Hays, although neither publicly signed their letters on Wednesday. Athletic Director Jacob Ashworth said they plan to have a ceremony together at a later date.

acolbert@aspentimes.com