Nansemond-Suffolk Academy senior football star Noah Giles recently made a verbal commitment to take his talents next year to Williamsburg, where he will play for the College of William & Mary.

“Beginning of freshman year, I didn’t think I would ever be at this point and be able to be blessed enough to go on and play college football,” Giles said.

But he said during his junior season, as he excelled for the Saints, he started thinking about the possibilities and started attending camps during the offseason to raise his profile as a recruit.

“I think William & Mary is a great school for me, just a great fit for me,” Giles said. “They have a strong academic program, and their football program is one of the best in the country.”

Near the end of the recruiting process, his top three choices were the University of Richmond, the United States Air Force Academy and William & Mary.

He visited Air Force over the summer, saw one of Richmond’s games back in September and then saw a William & Mary game on Oct. 24. It was that day in October that he committed to play for the Tribe on a full athletic scholarship.

NSA coach Lew Johnston recalled how Giles described to him the experience of being at the game that day.

“He said, ‘Coach, I was sitting in the stands watching the game, and I just knew this was the place for me,’” Johnston said.

Giles said, “I looked at all the other things, like all the academics and the facilities and stuff like that. I think it just came down to how the game atmosphere was mostly.”

Johnston is thrilled with his leading rusher’s choice of college.

“As a William & Mary alumnus, I’m doubly proud,” he said.

Johnston has a good relationship with coaches in the William & Mary football program and said one of them told him that “Noah Giles is the difference-maker for us, and we could use him in a number of different places,” including at running back, in the slot, at wide receiver and even cornerback.

“He’s gifted enough, he’s talented enough, he’ll do well with any of them,” Johnston said.

Giles said, “I just want to thank God mostly, because He gave me the blessings that I have, and also my brother. He kind of led me to play football, too.”

His brother, Anthony Giles, played high school football for King’s Fork.

He is undecided about his major but has possibly narrowed it down.

“I was thinking either physics or something in business, maybe,” he said.