I found an interesting article on a play named Alex Elkins. He's extremely athletic and runs a 4.47 40.
Thu Oct 07 08:07am PDT
<h2 ="title" property="dc:title">
New Oklahoma State recruit never played high school football</h2> By
Cameron Smith</span></span>
On Wednesday, The Oklahoman reported that Oklahoma
State landed a commitment from a fast-rising linebacker in Texas. That
hardly seems out of the ordinary, yet Alex Elkins is one of the most
unique recruits among major national recruiting classes for one reason:
He never played high school football.
Elkins
is a sophomore at Blinn Junior College in Brenham, Texas, one of the
nation's premier junior college programs which routinely sends top
players to Division I schools across the country. By those standards
Elkins' commitment is nothing out of the ordinary. Yet his lack of
football past sends Elkins' story far from the everyday. Unlike most
Blinn players, who arrive on campus after heralded high school careers,
Elkins had never played a day of organized football before he arrived on
the East Texas campus.
A high school baseball star in Georgia
before a senior transfer to Keller (Texas) High, Elkins was on track for
a collegiate scholarship before a broken hand ended his high school
career. According to the Brenham Banner-Press, Elkins was on vacation in
Panama City Texas the following summer
when his mother told him about a football combine being held at Blinn,
where prospective athletes were competing for a football scholarship.
With no firm collegiate plans and plenty of competitive drive yet to
tap, Elkins showed up in Brenham for the combine, and later landed a
scholarship after standing out among some 200 other athletes who
actually had played football in high school.
[
Related: Top-ranked school utilizes female cornerback]
"There
were a lot of talented athletes there and I was like ‘What did I get
myself into?'" Elkins told the Banner-Press. "I showed them what I was
capable of and earned the spot."
A year and a half later, Elkins
is aiming for 80 tackles and eight sacks against the best competition in
the junior college ranks. The sophomore relies on his athleticism -- he
stands 6-foot-4 and 235 pounds and runs a 4.47 second 40-yard dash --
and a brief stint on Keller High's rugby team to help compensate for his
lack of experience. <a name="remaining-"></a>
"Every time I
go onto the field I want to make the play," Elkins told the Brenham
Banner-Press. "I critique myself in practice to make myself better. I
learn by reps and I don't take any steps back.
"I talked to the
2009 linebacker coach and he asked me what position I played. I told him
quarterback because I was a pitcher. He said Blinn already had a
quarterback, so what other position was I trying out for, and I told him
that I never played football before. He said ‘why don't you try the
linebacker position?' and the position worked for me."
While
Elkins is still learning on the fly, his junior college coach said he
has little doubt that the linebacker will be a success at the next
level, just as he's been at Blinn.
"He's only played 17 [games of]
football and for him to get the attention and recruiting he's gotten
says a lot," The Oklahoman reported that Blinn head coach Brad
Franchione told Oklahoma State web site GoPokes.com. "The best football
for him is in front of him. He's learning the game and as he learns the
game, he's going to continue to play faster and faster."
Want more on the best stories in high school sports? Visit RivalsHigh or connect with Prep Rally on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
Other popular stories on Yahoo!:
"¢
Ohio girl is homecoming queen and star kicker on same night
"¢
Video: NBA star beaten at HORSE by high schooler
"¢
MLB player ditches his team during the playoffs
