MONMOUTH, Ill. — James Blair, who excelled in three sports at Auburn High School, will enroll at Monmouth College this fall and participate in football and track.

On the gridiron, the 6-foot-3, 275-pound defensive lineman starred for an Auburn team that went 11-2 last season and reached the Class 2A state semifinals. The Trojans have reached the state playoffs in nine of the last 10 seasons under coach Dave Bates.

In track, Blair placed fifth in the state in the shot put at this year’s Class A meet with a throw of 51’3-3/4. His high finish helped the Trojans finish seventh as a team at the state meet.

“Having James commit to Monmouth was icing on the cake for us and really capped off a tremendous defensive line class, especially at the defensive tackle spot,” said Monmouth head football coach Steve Bell.

“James is a multi-talented thrower, and we expect him to not only contribute in the shot put and the discus, but in the weight throw and the javelin as well,” said Fighting Scots track coach Roger Haynes. “He will contribute for us immediately and help us to replace some of the fine throwers that we graduated.”

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