As Antwon Murchison worked out at the Body Shop Fitness Company in Southern Pines on Tuesday, he looked every bit the part of the NFL defensive lineman he would one day like to be.

A sculpted 6-foot-4 and 310 pounds, the former three-sport athlete at Pinecrest played college football at Clemson for three seasons after redshirting as a freshman. A reserve nose guard throughout his Tiger career, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology in three-and-a-half years before transferring to Mars Hill College near Asheville.

Murchison made the move to become a starter in his final year of college eligibility. He was a Division II all-South Atlantic Conference first-team selection last fall and earned a second degree in education in the process.

A defensive lineman and tight end for the Pinecrest football team, he was also a standout in basketball and track. He is an accomplished pianist and drummer and was described in the Clemson media guide as the team’s best musician. He also ranked among the best on the team in a number of weightlifting categories.

Murchison, who possesses 4.7 speed in the 40-yard dash, attended a workout held by the Canadian Football League in Atlanta in March. He was not selected in either the NFL or CFL drafts.

Several weeks ago he signed with the sports agency, Pro Sports International, looking to negotiate a contract for a spot in the CFL that kicks off its season on June 13.

On the college football national signing day in 2005, Murchison posed for a photo with North Moore’s Cam Thomas, who inked a national letter-of-intent to play at UNC. The two friends had played on the same AAU basketball team. Back in April, Thomas was a fifth round draft choice of the San Diego Chargers.

Murchison, an Aberdeen resident, believes he too will eventually get the opportunity to play in the NFL.

“I’m taking a different route than others,” he said. “Faith is the size of a mustard seed and faith without works is dead. So I’m putting my faith to work. I have faith I’ll reach my goal to play in the NFL.

“My greatest motivation is God and my mother (Roberta Horton) for helping me stay straight. Sometimes I’ve wanted to give in, but I can’t.”