AFTER the buzz of the A-Level results last week, one student will be jetting off to America to continue his studies, after being offered a full athletics scholarship to help fulfil his dream of playing professional American football.

Former Tavistock College student Elliot Hoyte, 18, who attended sixth form at Ivybridge College, has been offered a scholarship at Boise State University in Idaho, ranked number seven nationally for its American football team.

Elliot, who lives with his family in Tavistock, has been playing American football since the age of 14. He plays for the Great Britain youth side and is currently in the defensive line for the Bristol Aztecs senior team.

Elliot said: 'I couldn't believe it when I first found out I'd got in. I still wake up in the morning and read the letter they sent me — it still feels pretty surreal.

'It's really the opportunity I've been waiting for. I'm really looking forward to it — I'm a bit apprehensive, I don't think there's anything I can't handle from the sporting side, the only thing I think I will struggle with is not seeing my family for such a long time.'

Elliot's mother Rebecca said that players across America all try to get accepted into the top universities, so for Elliot to get in with a full athletics scholarship, as an Englishman, was a 'really, really big achievement'.

She said: 'In America the college American football teams are hugely popular — they get over 100,000 people watching each game. Boise State is one of the top ten universities and one of the places they recruit NFL players from. It is also ranked number one for its defensive line, which is where Elliot plays.'

Rebecca said usually the universities send out scouts to high schools to watch the teams practice, but as Elliot was in the UK, they sent DVDs of him playing in games to several universities.

'He was offered a number of places but Boise State was the one he wanted, that wanted him.

'This was plan A, there was never a plan B. He has been totally focused on this for most of his life. He spends long hours in the gym, eats well and doesn't drink — it has been difficult for him juggling his A-levels and going to Bristol every weekend to train.'

Elliot will start his first term in January and will be taking a business degree alongside playing sport.

'I think I'm more nervous than he is,' said Rebecca, 'He went out there in the middle of his A-levels and met the coaches and the players so he's quite familiar with it — he knows what he's going into.

'It is a huge jump from where he's playing to where he is going. We are really proud of him.'

Elliot's father Nigel plays American football played in the US when he was younger. He is now a UK national coach and mentors Elliot.

He said: 'I always knew he wanted to play the sport, but as a parent who has done something similar, I didn't want to put any pressure on him.

'The good thing is that having done it myself, I know what the pitfalls are, which I hope will help.

'Boise is a really good place, I've met the coaches, they are very much into the kids getting their education and working hard, there's no way he will be allowed to fail academically.'

Rebecca and Nigel also paid tribute to Tavistock College PE teacher Tristan Forster, who had supported Elliot so well.

Tristan said: 'It's fantastic to see somebody achieve to such a high level. All of us wish Elliot all the best for the future.'