By REED DESALVO

The Natchez Democrat

NATCHEZ — James Allen Coley has found a home.

The Cathedral High School star signed with Copiah-Lincoln Community College Monday morning, putting an end to what was a topsy-turvy recruitment process.

“These last few weeks have been really stressful on deciding where I was going to go,” Coley said. “I picked Co-Lin, and it’s just been a relief … I’m set on Co-Lin.”

Copiah-Lincoln serves as one of the top football programs in MACJC, and was No. 4 in the final NJCAA poll for 2015 with a 7-2 record.

“They have a bunch of first-and second-year players that go straight to the SEC and Division I,” Coley said. “I think that’s one of the reasons I picked them. Coach Glenn Davis gets guys from California to Florida, all over the place. He’s a real good guy, and a real good coach. I know if I work my butt off, he’ll get me (where I want to go).”

The 6-foot-4, 240-pound linebacker prospect originally committed to play at Louisiana-Monroe in July, but following the dismissal of then-head coach Todd Berry, Coley was informed from the new ULM coaching staff in early January he no longer had a scholarship offer. Coley had been previously told by new coach Matt Viator his scholarship offer would be upheld. Coley was then left searching for an eventual destination just weeks before National Signing Day.

The versatile defender, however, said everything he has gone through has made him a better a person.

“I know I don’t want to be that type of person when I grow up,” Coley said. “I know nothing is set in stone until you sign a piece of paper … with (Viator) not necessarily lying, but leading me on. I don’t want to have that status.”

Coley chose the Wolfpack after giving serious consideration to Southwest Mississippi Community College, but felt the Wesson-based campus was best for him.

“I had a real good relationship with the Southwest coaches,” Coley said. “That was a real hard decision … It stressed me out a lot. There was multiple days where I should have picked, but I was still trying to decide where to go.”

Coley is the son of Amanda and James Odis Coley.