Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ is saying goodbye to two members of its League of Legends Esports Team as they start the next chapter of their careers by playing for a professional organization.<\/p>\n
Aiden \u201cNiles\u201d Tidwell and Ethan \u201cIconic\u201d Wilkinson join the League of Legends Championship Series (LCS) roster for the Golden Guardians, an esports affiliate of the NBA\u2019s Golden State Warriors. They are the first players to turn professional from the Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ Esports Program.<\/p>\n
\u201cPlaying for a pro organization is truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience,\u201d said Tanner \u201cZeu\u201d Deegan, head coach for Ä¢¹½´«Ã½\u2019s League of Legends Esports team. \u201cWe\u2019re proud to have made a positive impact in their progression towards pro play, and it provides us with a bit of reassurance that we’re on the right path, and doing our jobs well. I’m looking forward to seeing how we grow the Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ program in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tidwell and Wilkinson helped Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ earn several major titles including the 2019 and 2020 Harrisburg University Esports (HUE) Invitational titles, one of the largest collegiate esports events in the U.S.<\/p>\n
Tidwell also helped Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ secure the 2019 League of Legends Collegiate Championship, the team\u2019s third collegiate national championship in four years. The Saints also won in 2016 and 2017.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would like to thank everyone at Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ for giving me the opportunity to grow,\u201d Tidwell said. \u201cBefore coming here, I was lost and didn\u2019t know what I wanted to do.\u201d He credits his teammates for helping him develop as a player, garnering the attention of several professional teams before he was selected by the Golden Guardians.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe people I met at Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ have been the largest contributing factor to where I am right now, especially Andrew \u2018CKG\u2019 Smith who challenged me the most,\u201d he said. Smith is the former captain of Ä¢¹½´«Ã½\u2019s League of Legends Esports team and currently serves as Ä¢¹½´«Ã½\u2019s assistant director of esports where he focuses on player growth and management of the program.<\/p>\n
Wilkinson also stressed how Ä¢¹½´«Ã½\u2019s team dynamic is an important part of their winning strategy. \u201cWe are all really good friends and have a lot of fun together, and I find that takes off a lot of the pressure so everyone can perform their best,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
While Wilkinson will miss playing for Ä¢¹½´«Ã½, he looks forward to competing on the professional level \u2014 especially with a fellow Saint by his side. \u201cIt feels good to go pro with one of my teammates,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s someone I can vent to and someone I can have fun with. We\u2019ve already created a relationship here at Ä¢¹½´«Ã½, so it will be nice to be in the LCS together.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nToday we say goodbye to our collegiate Captain America as he starts the next chapter of his career at @GoldenGuardians<\/a>. A National Championship, several major titles, countless memories. We are so incredibly proud.<\/p>\n
Thank You, Niles ❤️<\/p>\n
Good luck in the #LCS<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/XQpw6BYFx3<\/a><\/p>\n
\u2014 Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ Esports (@Ä¢¹½´«Ã½GG) November 23, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n