Charlie Ballou battled a turf toe that held him out of practice for half the season at Lamar, but he never missed a football game on Friday nights this past fall.

That toughness and determination caught the notice of the Belhaven University — well, that and his All-State season for the Raiders in which he finished with 47 tackles and three tackles for loss, including 15 tackles in Lamar’s state championship win against Simpson Academy.

Tuesday morning, Ballou inked with Belhaven in front of family, friends, faculty and teammates, fulfilling a dream he’s had for most of his life. He said after touring the campus and meeting the coaches and his future teammates, he knew Belhaven was the place for him.

“It’s been my dream since I was a little boy to continue playing, so I’m grateful for the opportunity,” Ballou said.

Lamar head coach Mac Barnes said his two-time All-State defensive tackle was a huge part in his team winning a second state title in a row, as he fought through whatever adversity the injury threw his way.

“You can tell by the ceremony today he was really well-respected by his friends, and he loves football, and that’s what I love about that,” Barnes said. “I love the idea of him going to a smaller college that emphasizes education first. A good friend of mine’s son coaches there, so I know he’ll get good coaching. I hope it opens the door for more of our guys to go to Belhaven.”

Turf toes are a tough injury through which to play, but Ballou said he knew he couldn’t take a game off for one reason.

“My teammates,” he said. “I just always wanted to play for my teammates.”

As he fought through the injury, Barnes said Ballou’s love for football was another thing driving him to keep playing.

“Football was really important to him,” Barnes explained.

And Barnes said that attitude is part of what led to Ballou becoming a leader this season.

“In athletics, you respect people for one reason, and that’s what they do,” Barnes said. “A lot of people say things, but it’s the people who actually do it that you really respect. He was not only respected by his teammates, but when we went to vote on All-State, the opposing coaches were so impressed with how hard he played and how consistent he was and things like that. This is what education is about: having a good high school experience and moving on to college. I feel really good about his chances of doing well in life because I know what kind of person he is.”

Ballou departs Lamar as part of a senior class that helped the school to its first back-to-back state championships.

“It’s a great honor to be a part of that and be a part of history for Lamar,” Ballou said.