The more Lazarus May was honored following the 2018 football season, the more college programs picked up on the Memorial defensive lineman.

“He got four offers within the past week and a half,” Titans coach Brian Morgan said, naming Tulsa, SMU, UTEP and Louisiana Tech. “He got them right at the end and he had to be patient, but it was an agonizing decision. He texted me at 3 o’clock wanting to talk about it. He really had to talk through them.”

Turns out, Tulsa’s Golden Hurricane blew May away just enough for him to commit. He visited the campus just this past weekend.

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“I’m truly blessed,” he said. “I get to play at a higher level and show my talents. It’s a better way so I can show off my skills.”

The District 9-5A Division I and The News’ Super Team MVP became Memorial’s latest Football Bowl Subdivision signee Wednesday when he committed to a program in the American Athletic Conference, meaning he’ll get to line up against the likes of Houston, Cincinnati, Memphis and Navy.

That’s not what he’s looking forward to the most from being at Tulsa. He said it’s the food.

“They’ve got some things I haven’t had here in Port Arthur,” he said.

Kicker and punter Kenny Pham switched his commitment from Texas Lutheran to Lamar.

“It actually just came as more convenient for me,” Pham said. “It’s close to home. I’ve been around the place all my life. Coach [Todd] Ivicic [special teams coordinator] gave me the opportunity, and I just went ahead and took advantage of the opportunity.”

May and Pham were one of 15 Titans participating in the Memorial auditorium for its signing day ceremony, the first with Morgan as head coach. Morgan was elevated from assistant coach more than a month after last year’s National Signing Day.

“It’s a big deal here, so you’ve got to make sure and do it right,” Morgan said. “It’s something important to the town and community. You’ve got to make sure you do it right for the kids.”

Said Pham: “This event is life-changing. It predicts my future, so I went ahead and committed to what’s more convenient.”

While May and Pham were the only two Titans to land with an NCAA Division I program, the big winners in the program were Missouri Valley College and the Heart of America Athletic Conference.

Missouri Valley, an NAIA college located between Kansas City and Columbia, was one of three schools from the conference to draw players from Memorial. In fact, MVC landed six — linebackers Ja’Quaylen Crook and Chris Thomas, defensive lineman Jose Fourquet, wide receivers Teajawon Mack and Kenneth Washington and defensive back Robert Roundtree.

Senior offensive lineman Vernes Calhoun will play this coming season at Grand View University in Iowa. Grand View was ranked 15th in the final NAIA coaches’ top-25 poll following an 8-3 season and made the NAIA playoffs.

“Port Arthur kids have gone off to Missouri Valley and Grand View both,” Morgan said. “They’ve been good players and graduated. When that happens, the coaches want to come back. They know the types of players they’re getting, but the quality of guy who can perform in the classroom is just as important.”

The pipeline to Iowa didn’t stop with Grand View, located in Des Moines.

Two-way lineman Malik Blake led off the ceremony signing with Division III program Buena Vista University in Storm Lake, which is in western Iowa. Two-plus hours south in Council Bluffs, d-lineman Da’Juan McMillan will compete at Iowa Western Community College.

MidAmerica Nazarene University in Kansas, which competes with Missouri Valley and Grand View, signed senior offensive lineman Sam Stephens.

Calhoun and Stephens helped protect Angelo State signee Kam Ladia, who threw for 1,543 yards and 16 touchdowns. Angelo State is an NCAA Division II program in San Angelo, south of Abilene.

Safety Jacob Washington inked with Kilgore College and Rayon Laday committed to Community Christian College of Atlanta.

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I.C. Murrell: 721-2435. Twitter: @ICMurrellPANews