11 minute read
Joseph Kreger 40- Jaylen Kendrick
Andrew Myrick central high
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By: dan Martin By Daryl Evans
Andrew Myrick is a wide receiver out of Central High School in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Standing at 5’8” 140lbs, Myrick is the epitome of a game changing player. Andrew can absolutely fly, evident with his 4.4 40 yard dash time. He sped past defenders all season for the Wildcat offense and special teams as a kick returner. His athletic ability enables him swap to the opposite side of the ball and play DB, largely because he runs step for step with receivers and has a high football IQ. The senior competes as a two-sport athlete playing shortstop for the Central High baseball team. His baseball background is evident on the gridiron in his unique instincts and ability to track the ball. Andrew maintains a 2.9 GPA to pair with his skill set on the field. When did you start playing football? “My first time playing was in 8th grade. I didn’t play again until my senior year of high school.” Why did you stop playing? “I was really a baseball type of guy. My coaches asked me to play and my parents weren’t into football as much before.” Have you always played receiver?Any other positions? “8th grade year I played cornerback and kick returner. When I started back my senior year, I switched to receiver. My coaches allowed me to play a little bit of DB as well, but I lined up at wideout most of the time.” Which position do you prefer playing? “Receiver. I’m able to make big time plays and give my team better field position. I feel that my speed is more effective on the offensive side of the ball.” What player do you try to model your game after? “Ja’Marr Chase. I’ve watched him a lot since he was in high school and when he got to LSU. He has a good work ethic and it shows on the field, so I try to incorporate that into the way I play the position.” How would you describe your style of play? “I play the game with speed. Bubble screens and deep ball routes are mostly what I specialize in. Just being a big play guy for the offense is always a threat for defenses to stop.” What is your favorite memory from high school? “Definitely my first touchdown. It was the first game of the season and I hadn’t really had many touches up until that point in the game. They were in man. I ran my route and turned the safety around and finished the play making a 45-yard diving catch for the touchdown. I was filled with excitement from the rush of the moment and that was just a thrilling experience for me.” What is something that you’ve learned about yourself from football? “I learned that football is more than just a sport. It allows you to build relationships and connect with your teammates. From summer workouts until the end of the season, you make memories that last a lifetime.” If any, what were your team’s pregame rituals? “We would watch a football hype video and at the end of the video was the Mercedes-Benz superdome. It served as our motivation to reach the ultimate goal, which was to make it there and not just make it, but to win the state championship.” What are some ways that you feel you show leadership? “By doing things like never walking, running on and off the field, and not skipping any reps in the weight room. Just doing the small things trying to lead by example.” How do you deal with losing a game? “Getting back to practice on Mondays, we just try to work on mistakes while at the same time, trying to kind of forget about the previous game and look ahead to the next week.” What ultimately motivated you to go out and play the game of football? “I always liked the sport and always wanted to get out there and play. Once I did, I just made the most out of the opportunity.”
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Jaylen Kendrick Jonesboro hodge
class of 2020 athlete ht: 6’1” wt: 180
By: dan Martin By: Daryl Evans
Jaylen Kendrick is an ATH out of Jonesboro, Louisiana. He is listed as a strong safety, however, his 6’1” and 180 pound frame allows him to make an impact lining up at wide receiver when needed. Jaylen sees the field with prowess and displays a great level of physicality with his tackling ability. His versatility helped propel the Jonesboro-Hodge Tigers to a playoff birth to end his senior season. We caught up with Jaylen to get to know him beyond what he can do on the field. At what age did you begin playing football? “I started playing in Baton Rouge when I was 5 years old through the BREC league.” Who would you say is the biggest motivation for you playing football? “My God brother was my biggest motivation. He started playing and I watched him, and I just decided to follow him. My dad also pushed me to go out and play.” What would you say is the hardest part of playing safety? “Playing safety, you never want to get beat deep. You’re the guy that’s supposed to keep everything in front of you.” What would you say is the hardest part of playing receiver? “Making those tough, contested catches. Sometimes the DB is step for step with you, so you have to put yourself in positions to make plays on the ball.” Have you always played safety, or have you played other positions as well? “In the rec league, I started out as a linebacker. As I entered high school, my coaches switched me to safety.” Which position would you say is your favorite to play? “I like playing safety more. I love the defensive side of the ball and I love hitting people. I’m allowed to be more physical.” Who is your favorite college or NFL player? “One of my favorite all time players is Sean Taylor. He was very physical as well and reminds me a lot of myself. I also am a huge fan of Tyrann Mathieu. Watching him play in college helped me see how relentless he is in playing the game. He makes plays all over the field and is around almost every play.” How would you describe your style of play? “I play a very physical game. Although I’m not the biggest person, you can always count on me to play the game with the most physicality.” What are some pregame routines that you have? “Before every game, I’ll call my Dad and talk to him just to settle down and prepare myself mentally. After that, I just listen to music and zone out until its time to touch the field.” What is your favorite memory from playing in High School? “My favorite memory was on senior night. It was a close game and we had to win to make it to the playoffs. I had many tackles and got my biggest hit ever. We were in cover 2 and the receiver came across on an In route. As soon as he caught the ball, I hit him and the ball came loose. It was turnover on downs, and we got the ball back. We went down and scored a touchdown and won the game.” Have you played any other sports? “I played football, basketball, and track. In track, I ran the 400, 4x4, 4x1, 4x2, and the 200.” What would you say comes naturally to you on the football field? “Being able to sniff out the ball and make open field tackles. I see the field very well and that allows me to be in the right places to make plays on the ball.” What is something that you’ve learned about yourself from playing football? “I learned that I don’t really like to lose. I learned how to respect others, what it means to have responsibility, and how to work well with my teammates and coaches.”
John Bergeron St Paul High
Class of 2020 Long snapper ht: 6’ wt: 215 gpa: 3.9 act: 31
By: dan Martin by: Will Harper
In an often overlooked long snapper position, John Bergeron provides a level of leadership and consistency that can be passed over. His athleticism, to not only hold a block but also release off the line faster than even some skill position players, is an asset that can prove valuable to any program. Not only is his effort and hard work shown on the football field, but also in the classroom where Bergeron boasts a 3.9 GPA with a 31 ACT score. What made you decide you wanted to start playing football and when did you start playing? “You know it was really something my parents’ kind of got me into, but was never forced to do. I started playing when I was about 6 or 7 and just fell in love with it. It made me really want to keep going and work hard.” How has football helped you grow as a person? “It really taught me that you have to work for everything you want. You have to really get into the mindset of working hard. I think one of the biggest things it has helped me learn was how to be mentally tough.” Who has been the biggest influence on your life? “Definitely my parents. They really helped me grow into the person I am today and helped me to grow up keeping the right things in mind.” Do you play any other sports in high school? “Actually, the only other thing I do in school is debate, but there is a lot that goes in within that. Not only does it really help with speaking in front of others, but I feel like it instilled a lot of confidence in me, which translates over into an ability to lead a team.” Have you always played the position your do now, or did you start somewhere else? “I played center all the way up until my 8th grade year, which is when I changed schools and went to St. Paul’s. When I got there, I was presented with this opportunity to go to long snapper, and it is really something I love doing. I was taught very well by the guy before me, and I’m just really glad I got the opportunity to become a long snapper.” Do you feel like you accomplished everything you wanted to this year? “Man, I feel like I accomplished even more than I wanted to this year. I really grew us a person and as an athlete. I really feel like I improved a lot on the field this year.” How do you think your teammates and coaches would describe you as a player? “I think there are three different ways they would describe me. I think first they would say I am a hard worker. They would also say that I was very dedicated, as I would do anything I needed to in order to help the team succeed. Lastly, I think I would be described as coachable. I can listen to leaders and know when I need to pay attention because those coaches and even teammates can really help teach you things.” What is your favorite part about game day? “It’s honestly the pre-game rituals. We have a lot of things we do before a game at St. Paul’s as well as a lot of things I do personally to help me prepare for a game.” You talked about some of your personal pre-game rituals, can you elaborate on what some of those are? “I try not to think about the game too much the day of it. I like to make sure I am not too stressed over it beforehand. But when it comes time to get ready for the game I really start to get into the zone. I focus on the task at hand and make sure I am ready to do my job play in and play out. I also like to stop and grab some food beforehand.” How do you find a balance between football and academics? “When I was growing up my parents really instilled the importance of school in me. It helped me to understand that grades come first day in and day out. I come home every day after school, shower, and then start on school work and don’t get up until everything I need to do is finished. I have always been taught that it is called a “student-athlete” for a reason. That because being a student comes first. “
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