The Columbus High School football team has been known for its defense under Joshua Pulphus.

And the four players who signed to play at local community colleges Wednesday were a big part of the reason why the Falcons’ defense shined in 2021.

Darion Mosley, Isaiah Harris, Elijah Short IV and Michael Mosley took their next steps on National Signing Day in the Columbus High auditorium, moving on after productive high school careers.

“All four of them are defensive players, and they’re the reason why the defense was as good as it was — all four of those young men,” Pulphus said Wednesday.

Mosley and Harris signed to Northeast Mississippi Community College, Short signed to Copiah-Lincoln Community College, and Mosley signed with Itawamba Community College.

They joined Columbus players Deitrick McCray and Tawonn Troop, who graduated early and signed in December during the early signing period. Both players signed to Northeast on Dec. 15.

“It feels good to have six guys going to play college football,” Pulphus said.

Two of the four players who signed Wednesday could have joined McCray and Troop in graduating a semester early but chose to finish out their senior seasons. Short was one of them, with Pulphus saying he wanted to play his senior year on the baseball field.

Short, the Falcons’ starting strong safety, earned the moniker “silent killer” for his aggressive play on the gridiron after a play he made Sept. 11, 2020, at Holmes County Central. He laid out Dandreyus Giles across the middle, knocking the Jaguars receiver off his feet.

“You would have thought it was Ronnie Lott who came in and decleated the young man,” Pulphus said. “Everybody went crazy.”

That, the Falcons coach said, was the moment Short truly “appeared.” From then on, opposing quarterbacks seemed hesitant to throw it Short’s direction or even across the middle. Diminutive for a safety at 5-foot-9, the defensive back packed a well-known punch opponents hoped to avoid.

“When receivers came, they actually checked up a little bit,” Pulphus said.

Smith’s safety teammate, Michael Mosley, offered more big-play ability in the secondary. Mosley chose Itawamba over Coahoma, Holmes and Northeast and turned down a preferred walk-on offer from Mississippi State.

“I like that you’ve got to compete,” Mosley said of his experience with the Indians. “You’ve got to compete every day. You’ve got to go hard. Nobody’s spot is safe.”

A soccer player, track star and powerlifter, Mosley made an impact on offense, defense and special teams for the Falcons. He was an all-state kick returner with several house calls on kickoffs as well as multiple interceptions returned for touchdowns.

“Any time the ball’s in his hand, he can change the game,” Pulphus said. “Any time he’s covering someone, he can change the game.”

The Falcons’ other Mosley was able to do the same in a variety of roles. Despite weighing in at roughly 275 pounds, Darion Mosley played on the defensive line, played fullback and served as Columbus’ specialist, handling punting, placekicking and kickoffs.

“He’s on the field probably 80 percent of the time,” Pulphus said of Mosley. “For him to dedicate himself in the offseason and put himself in shape to play a full season like that means a lot.”

Mosley said he dreamed of playing college football since he was 8 years old and couldn’t explain how much committing to play for the Tigers meant to him. He chose Northeast over Mississippi Delta Community College, saying the school appealed to him.

“It just caught my attention,” Mosley said.

Pulphus described Mosley as a pure “athlete” who embraced the specialist role when the Falcons needed him to.

“He’s a good kid who enjoys football,” Pulphus said. “It’s going to hurt us to lose Darion.”

The same will be true with Harris, perhaps Columbus’ most impactful defensive player. The defensive end and linebacker said he was excited about heading to Booneville, saying he enjoyed the coaches he met at Northeast.

Harris also had offers from Itawamba and Northwest Mississippi Community College.

Pulphus complimented the senior’s ability to get off the ball quickly, play downhill and embrace contact in addition to Harris’ work ethic and leadership.

“He’s one that every team had to game plan around because he’s so fast on the ball,” Pulphus said. “For the defense to be as strong as it was, he had a great role in that.”

Theo DeRosa reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @Theo_DeRosa.