Kings Christian's standout athlete, Julien Pierce, signs to play football for Arizona Christian University

Joining him on signing day were Julian’s parents Sarah and Justin, and sisters Alexa, Kylie and Aleya.

Turns out Pierce, a running back and linebacker for the Crusaders, was a marked man. Four other schools – Crown College, Culver-Stockton College, Jamestown, and Whittier – wanted to sign the two-way player to play football, but instead, he opted for the peaceful desert of Arizona.

Arizona Christian University Website

Why Arizona? “Mostly just because of its location,” he said. “It’s close to home, and it’s just a very good fit for me. I also have friends at other nearby colleges.”

It turns out he knows this game of football pretty well. Pierce, in his last nine games rushed for 679 yards on 80 carries, scored 15 touchdowns, caught 17 passes for 324 yards, and as a linebacker netted 87 total tackles and hauled in three interceptions.

He started his freshman year with the Crusaders. “I slowly fell in love with the game,” he remembered. “I enjoy every aspect of it,” he said adding that he always enjoyed the Kings Christian climate. “It’s a lot smaller. It’s got a real family feel. Everything’s really closely knit.”

He’s already met with Arizona Christian’s head football coach, Jeff Bowen, who recruited the Lemoore athlete. The school plays in the NAIA division.

Arizona Christian was founded in 1960 as Southwestern Conservative Baptist Bible College and today is a regionally accredited, private, non-profit Christian liberal arts university. The school offers a wide range of disciplines and majors. Pierce told The Leader he plans to major in psychology.

According to the school’s website, U.S. News and World Report has ranked Arizona Christian among the best colleges for the second year in a row.