April 15, 2011
COLLEGE STATION, Texas - Jeremy Efferding, one of the top American junior tennis players in the country, has signed a national letter of intent with Texas A&M University, Aggie men's head tennis coach Steve Denton announced today. Efferding is considered a Blue Chip, five-star recruit by several outlets.
"We are really excited about Jeremy Efferding coming to play for Texas A&M," Denton said. "Jeremy continues our trend of attracting the top American Juniors to Aggieland."
"Coach Jay Berger who is the Director of Men's Tennis with the United States Tennis Association and has been Jeremy's personal coach, sold us on Jeremy's work ethic and his passion for the game of tennis," Denton explained. "Jeremy will be a great addition to our team."
Efferding was born and raised in Dallas before moving to Florida at the age of 11. He has a great perspective and balance to his life, as well as his tennis. His parents, Brian and Lucia, work with the American Missionary Fellowship. Jeremy is home-schooled and has taken the SAT while training at the USTA National Center in Boca Raton, Florida.
"I am just very blessed," Efferding said. "My parents have always taught me that no matter what you do, do it with all of your heart and do it for the glory of God. Tennis may come and go, but your character and who you are as a person will remain. I know it sounds crazy, but my parents would rather me win sportsmanship awards than to win Wimbledon."
Efferding, a 6-2 right-hander, won the Florida Closed 18's Championship in 2010 and has won numerous junior sportsmanship awards including the prestigious USTA Bill Talbert Award, which he received at the International Hall of Fame induction ceremonies in July of 2009.
"I would say more than any championship, winning the Bill Talbert Award is my highest achievement and that award was such a blessing," Efferding said.
"One of my good friends in junior tennis is Jackson Withrow who signed with Texas A&M this January and has been with the team this spring," Efferding said. "I know Daniel (Brown) and Junior (Ore) from juniors play and they are great guys. I also spoke to Austin Krajicek and Jeff Dadamo when they were training here at the USTA. On my unofficial visit to Texas A&M, I could not find one negative. The facilities, the community, the coaches and the players on the team, I felt like Texas A&M was the right fit for me."
"My parents said Coach Denton watched every single point of every single match at the Orange Bowl," Jeremy said. "Coach Denton was a Top 10 professional and Coach Bob McKinley is a legend as well. I think working with them and competing against the guys on the team, and then playing against top competition like the Big 12 Conference will only make me a better tennis player. Coming back to the state of Texas is kind of like getting back to my roots."
Efferding, who was born May 4, 1993, hopes to major in biology that will give him some options in sports and medicine.
Efferding is the third Blue Chip recruit to sign with Texas A&M within the past year joining Withrow from Omaha, Nebraska, and Junior Ore from Gaithersburg, Maryland.