THE ATHLETE 251
ryan johnson
BIG MAN NOT ON CAMPUS YET
28
PAGES
tellis stone
DISPLINE IS A MUST UNDER COACH STONE
unique
THE STORY TO THE GLORY OF FAITH ACADEMY UNIQUE THOMPSON
With OVER 50 D1 Offers, its Duck, Duck, Goose for Ryan high school athletes
education
trainers in mobile
LINEUP
06
08
FAITH STAR, UNIQUE THOMPSON
JOHNSON OF ST.PAULS
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DISCPLINE IS BIGGER THAN FOOTBALL.
20
C.A.R. “CHOOSE ANOTHER ROUTE”
04. CHARLES CRAWFORD Crawford is a D1 steal. Who will get the talented athlete?
10. KADARIUS TONEY Toney is by far the Top Athlete in the Mobile/Baldwin County area.
16
ANTHONY MIX JR. 7 YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIPS
14. THEY GAVE MOBILE A GREAT SEASON
McGill-Toolen and Mobile Christian Successful season.
19. THOMAS JOHNSTON Did the Gulf Coast just witness the Best LB in State history?
23. KEYSHAWN HARPER Keyshawn is the missing lotto ticket. Who will find this diamond in the rough?
c
harles “C4” Crawford of Vigor high school is probably Mobile’s best all-around football player. The 5’10, 185lb all-star has been that good ever since his park ball days when he stared for the Eightmile Giants. As you can imagine, coaches from Blount high school and Vigor high school both wanted the electric Crawford on their team. Vigor was the team that Crawford went to and Blount is the team that had to face C4 for 4 years. Crawford came right into high school and continued what he did in park ball, and that’s, being a big time play maker. Even though C4 was only a freshman, it was only right that he started. Crawford runs a 4.4 in the 40, has a nose for the ball, and delivers hard crushing hits on WR’s that makes them second guess come across Crawford face. But this year has been a little different for Crawford, he has been asked to pick up his duties. Crawford plays just about every position on the field from DB, to WR, to even kicker. Yes, that’s right, in a Showdown game against 5A area 1 opponent St. Paul’s, Vigor kicker Eric Felts was put out the game with a leg injury and Vigor was in FG range with 00:02 left in the game, so who else for a coach to call on but Charles “C4” Crawford. Crawford stepped up and nailed the FG to win the game and to take 1st place in 5A area 1. With that one kick, Crawford gave Prichard stadium home field advantage and were the favorite to win the State of Alabama 5A State Championship but fell short of that goal. As you can imagine, Crawford has a ton of colleges after him. Even though his favorite college (Auburn) hasn’t offered him yet; Coach Gus Malzahn did get a chance to watch Crawford in that epic game against St. Paul’s. who knows, an offer could be in the making. But for now, Crawford has offers from Alabama A&M, Grambling St,
Alcorn, Jackson St, Citadel, Tuskegee, Central Arkansas, and Columbia to go alone with a hadful more schools. Not only is Crawford amazing on the field, but he excels in the classroom also. Charles holds a 3.7 GPA and plans to major in Sports Medicine once he gets to college. Charles is every coach dream. As we spoke with him during this interview, Crawford expressed his concern for the youth in Mobile, AL. Mobile has been covered with bloodshed lately and Crawford feels that youth sports is something that keeps the youth focus on something other than all the murders and violence that’s trampling the city of Mobile. Crawford also feels that the city needs more events such as youth sports & leadership camps. This will give kids something to look forward to every year and it would teach kids how to conduct themselves in society, Says Crawford. Looks like the future is very bright for Crawford and his family. He has his head on straight, and understand how to conduct himself in society. Look for the name Charles “C4” Crawford on college gameday Saturday, and on Sunday NFL Morning shows. But 1st he must finish out his High School career, and make his college announcement, which Crawford says he doesn’t have a for sure time on his announcement, but he does know it will be before January is over.
THE BIG MAN N0T ON CAMPUS
R
The Big Man not on Campus yet. That statement is a thousand times better than it sounds. Duck, Duck, Goose….., that’s a game 6-foot-4, 260-pound Ryan Johnson of St. Paul’s can play when choosing which college he wants to attend. The defensive lineman has offers from more than 50 colleges, and more coming daily. But for Ryan, this isn’t a game; this is life. Football for Ryan started when he was 3yrs old going on 4 and it hasn’t stopped and with the power of God, it will continue for a very long time. He already has over 10yrs of destroying Quarterbacks and Running Backs and just about every college in America wants Ryan to continue to do that for their program. Ryan has been starting for St. Paul’s since his sophomore year, after an upper classman went out with an injury. Johnson stepped in and hasn’t took a step back since. It was nervous at first to step in so early of my career, but I was up for the challenge, says Johnson. I knew I had what it took, I just had to put the work in on the field and in the weight room, says Johnson, who at the time was weighing about 220lbs. At the time, St. Paul’s defense was missing a key ingredient, a run stopper is what they needed and a run stopper is what they got in Johnson. To Ryan, being a run stopper was his biggest skillset. Today that is still Ryan biggest skillset in his eyes. His coaches will probably have a different answer is you was to ask them that same question. In his coach’s eyes, leadership is probably Ryan biggest skillset. With over 50 colleges after Ryan, focusing on his team and trying to return to the Alabama State Championship game, where Johnson and his teammates won the 5A State Title last year was the focus. But even for a kid as humble as Johnson, recruitment can be extremely frustrated. Johnson tells us that it’s still a great experience that he loves and respect. The main part that Johnson doesn’t like
is when he’s trying to study for class and a college coach calls him late. Johnson college competition will start before he has his 1st college start. Ryan was selected to play in the Alabama vs Mississippi Allstar game on Dec 10th and probably the biggest competition he will face before stepping on a University Campus is when he plays in the Army All-American game on Jan. 1st. This is a game that consist of the top athletes in the nation, and where most of the athletes use to announce their college choice. Don’t worry, Johnson said he will not use the game to announce his choice. He will probably hold a press conference at his high school in Mobile, Alabama. The 6-foot-4, 260-pound DE played a little at LB for the Saints this year. When we asked Ryan where would he like to play in college, Johnson spoke like a true athlete and said he’s willing to play where his team needs him, but he prefer to play on the defensive line. Johnson may not look like it without his helmet on but Johnson loves to tangle it up with linemen across the board and if he gets the first step on you, you might as well forget it, it’s an 80% chance your quarterback is already on the ground with Ryan on top of him. Success can go to anybody head, especially a high school athlete. Luckily Ryan, he has he feet planted on the ground thanks to a special lady in his life. Ryan mom is the key to his humbleness. She stays on me, says Johnson. But it’s for the good. In my house grades are my number one priority. When he gets to college Ryan plans on Majoring in engineering, or accountant and after college Ryan wants to invest. This is a response we normally don’t get from athletes. Most athletes don’t think that far ahead, but just like when Ryan was 4yrs old, he’s not your normally athlete.
SHE’S UNIQUE!!
H
ard work & dedication equals tears of joy. That’s the scene at Faith Academy Cafeteria when Auburn Signee Unique Thompson signed to attend the War Eagles Women Basketball program next year. You see the glory, but you don’t know the story; passionate yelled by Thompson mom. The story is long, and full of achievements. Those long days and nights led to more than 25 Division 1 offers. Unique took official visits to Mississippi State, Auburn and Georgetown and had a fourth scheduled for Florida State, but she canceled it after visiting Auburn and committed to the Tigers in September. “It was just home,” she said. “I knew that from the beginning. After my unofficial, I knew but my parents told me to take it slow. But when I took my official, I was like, ‘Mom, I just can’t wait anymore. This is where I want to be. God placed it on my heart.’” Thompson is a two-time first-team All-State selection and a two-time first-team Coastal Alabama All-Region selection. She was the MVP for the South in the AHSAA North-South All-Star Game and has been nominated for this year’s McDonald’s All-American Team. She is ranked 15th in the nation at her position by ESPN. She is averaging 23.7 points and 13.7 rebounds through three games this year. For her career, Thompson has 1,408 points and 986 rebounds. 3-Pointer Questions by The Athlete 251: Q: Was it important to you to make your college decision before the season? A: Yes! I wanted to focus on my tea, the season and get passed the recruitment phase. Q: When did you know, or feel like Auburn was the University for you? A: Soon as I stepped out the car. The vibe on the campus and between the Auburn community is family oriented, and that makes a difference in picking where you want to be for 4yrs, plus it’s close to my family. Q: What do you plan on Majoring in? A: Special Education
YOU SEE THE GLORY, BUT YOU DON’T KNOW THE STORY. SAY’S UNIQUE MOM, MRS.BETTIES.
KADARIUS
“KT”
TONEY
They call him a dual threat quarterback, we call him an Athlete, but his name is Kadarius Toney and he is The Athlete 251 Offensive Player of The Year. I believe you can put Toney anywhere on the field and all eyes will be on him. That became an attempt in the Alabama vs Mississippi Allstar game, when Toney played a little at WR. The 6’1 190lb quarterback from Blount high school has
completed his playing days in the purple and white and will be trading them in for blue and orange. That’s right Toney is a University of Florida commit where he was recruited as a quarterback but my gut tells me that the gators will use Toney all over the field. That’s scary for not only defensive coordinators, but it’s scary if Toney is matched up with a linebacker or even a safety. Kadarius also had
Y offers from Ole Miss, South Carolina, South Alabama, Georgia Tech, and many other D1 schools, but the swamp is where you will see Kadarius next year. In 2015 Toney passed for 3,604 yards and had 37 touchdowns and he also ran for almost 900yards, while scoring the football 16 times. Kadarius senior season started off with a bang. He committed to The University of Florida in May
and he was on the victory side of the Battle of Prichard. In that game against Vigor, Toney accounted for 3 touchdowns to lead Blount to a 29-20 victory over Vigor. In that game, Toney rushed for 101 yards on 9 carries, scoring on runs of 73 and 11 yards. He also completed 13 of 25 passes for 181 yards. As the season rolled on so did Kadarius. He made defenses look silly and gave coordinators grey
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE
YEAR hair. The regular season was good but the goal was to make it to the state championship game and win. The rode to the state championship started with a playoff game against Dothan high school. Of course, Toney was Toney. He finished 15 of 25 for 174 passing yards and ran the ball 8 times for 105 yards. Blount won 15-7. Toney didn’t make it to the 6A State Championship game but Toney received all kind of awards and he was Offensive Player of The Year for The Athlete 251. Now it’s time to throw on the orange and blue and do the Gator Clap for
Toney. We wish Kardarius all the success in the world. Great high school career.
TS
STONE STRONG ON DISCIPLINE
by
Former Benjamin Russell standout and Alabama A&M hard hitting strong safety Tellis Strong brings discipline to B.C. Rain football program. A program that has not made the playoff since 2005 before coach Stone arrival in 2013. Stone replaced coach Brent Dearmon, who took an off-the-field job on the Auburn staff that year. Receiving his 1st head coaching job at the age of only 31 was a blessing, in the State of Alabama, receiving a head coaching job that young isn’t something you hear about down here, says Stone. Coach Stone looked so young, that one of the teachers at B.C. Rain asked him was he one of the new football players. Stone simply replied with no, I’m the new football coach. Coming into this job Stone felt like putting the athletes on a structured schedule and instilling discipline into them was the focus. Once you get the players to be on time and abide by your rules, those are the ingredients to building a successful program, says Stone. His 1st year was going to be the test. The B.C. Rain football program had 71 players on roster when stone took over and mid-way through the season Stone and his staff was down to about 30 players. Stone and his staff let it be known that either you with this
team or you’re not. As you could imagine, some players were kicked off the team because they just didn’t respond well to Stone discipline and structure philosophy. There was even doubt coming from the community, being it was his 1st head coaching job and that he was tough on the players, but coach Stone stuck to his beliefs and in only his 2nd season at Rain, he took the program to the 3rd round of the playoff. Eventually some of those players saw how this new look for the team was working and asked Stone if they could rejoin the team. This year the B.C. Rain program moved up to the 6A division from 5A. This brings on a whole new level of programs to prepare to beat to eventually making it to the playoff and then to the State Championship game. Stone and his staff wasted no time in prepping the players. They brought in a well-known fitness guru in Jihad Irby to whip the athletes into shape as well as improving their mobility and agility. Coach Irby was a former high school and college football player who came right in with the same discipline mindset for the players, but this time it was in the weight room. Coach Irby is the best thing to happen to our
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program, says Stone. From the looks of it, this attitude and philosophy will be around the program for a while, since this program has a lot of young guys playing. In the game against Baldwin Co, Rain started 4 freshmen. The one freshmen that is well known know is Defensive Lineman of the Year runner up Carlos Johnson Jr. With guys like CJ, and (freshmen) DL teammate Lakendrick Dyess who stands at 6’3 190lb, you can imagine that for at least the next 3 years, under Coach Stone
structure belief and the discipline him and his staff put on the players in the classroom, in life, on the field, and in the weight room. B.C. Rain will continue to have success.
“THEY GAVE
251
MOBILE A GREAT SEASON” McGill-Toolen Yellow Jackets and Mobile Christian Leopards McGill-Toolen dominated new class 7A last year, and pretty much did the same this year. With an All-Star cast, including Quarterback Bubby Thompson, an Auburn baseball commit and probably the best wr corp in all high school football this season; the yellow jackets were very impressive and hard to stop on offense. McGill won 26 of 28 games the last two seasons, winning last year’s state title, and making it back to the 7A Championship game this season after going 4-6 in Ross’ first season as head coach in 2014. The Yellow Jackets were on top of both the ASWA Class 7A poll and the AL.com Power 25 all year and reached as high as No. 4 in the nation in the USA Today poll. But this season had a different ending to it. The yellow jackets
explosive offense didn’t show up against Hoover, but middle LB Carlton Martial showed up. The 5’9 senior LB recorded 17 tackles in the Championship game against Hoover and last year he had a total of 11 tackles in the 7A Championship game. There’s no need for the Yellow Jackets to hold their heads down, they made the entire city of Mobile, AL proud. But McGill wasn’t the only great story of the 2016-17 football season. The Mobile Christian Leopards were very impressive this season despite opening the season up with a force forfeit game. Mobile Christian said it self-reported the violation. The Leopards said they were guilty of violating the Alabama High School Athletic Association’s Overlapping School Zone rule. Mobile Christian was
assessed a $300 fine. The probationary period serves as a warning that further violations could lead to more severe penalties. The Leopards opened the season with a 49-6 win over Lighthouse Christian and didn’t look back. The Leopards made it all the way to the State 3A Championship game, for the 1st time in school history, but was unsuccessful with bringing home the Championship Trophy. No need to hold your head down; this was history right before our eyes and the city of Mobile, AL are very proud of you guys.
Speed, Power, Work Ethic,
and Brains, what more do you want in a football player? Anthony Mix Jr stands 6’1 170lbs and loves the game of football. The 12U Mobile, AL Youth Bowl Champion already has 7 Championship trophies sitting in his house and AJ plans on continuing that tradition in high school. High School is a different game from youth football; the league AJ dominated since the age of 5. With football being Mix favorite sport, of course he wants to attend Auburn University, where his dad stared at. Anthony Mix Sr. was one of Baldwin County greatest athletes of all time, and had a great career at Auburn University. For Mix Jr to get to that stage
he must train and continue to get A’s & B’s on his report card. AJ says once he gets to college he wants to major in a Science relate major, which is his favorite subject in school now. As we know, college is some years from now, so until then AJ is worried about making himself better at every sport he plays. Since Mix Jr plays more than just football, his training is set up that way. Training at this age is focus on building speed, and increasing mobility. The best part of Mix Jr training is something he does on his very own, and that’s being a student of the game. “AJ study’s the game so hard and he understand all aspects of the game”, Says Mix Sr. Whatever high school AJ attends, his coach job is made
easier already. A guy who study’s the game, Trains like a soldier, and Makes grades #1 priority. Who wouldn’t want a player with this great mixture of ingredients.
“HE THE MIX
E HAS E RIGHT X.”
Spanish Fort Thomas Johnston.
THE FUTURE OF THE NFL
S
panish Fort may have been blessed to have the Best linebacker in school history. At 6’2 in the middle of the defense, stands a man amongst boys on most Friday nights. Thomas Johnston is the State of Alabama all-time leading tackler with almost 700 tackles, including 195 tackles this past season. The 5th year starter not only stands 6’2, but weighs in at 220lbs, creating a butterfly-feeling in most quarterback’s stomach. Johnston started 65 straight games in his high school career where he went 62-5 and helped Spanish Fort win state titles in 2012, 2013 and 2015. Thomas was also the MVP of this past sea-
son Alabama vs Mississippi Allstar game where he had 16 total tackles. Johnston just has a nose for the ball and will lay the hat on anybody with the ball in their hands. As you could imagine, just about every D1 school in the country wants the 6’2 220lb linebacker at their program next season. Although Johnston hasn’t had a high publicized recruitment, (which could be a good thing in many ways) he still has been on a ton of visits and will continue his official visits up to mid-January. Johnston hopes to visit three of the following four schools – Auburn, LSU, Ole Miss and Arizona State – in January. He said he will likely visit Auburn on Jan. 20 and then make his decision the next week. “I just want to go where
I feel comfortable,” he said. “I want to be able to relate with the players and the schemes and make sure I’m a good fit with the coaches. I know God will lead me down the right path.” Well whoever lands Johnston at their program, we at The Athlete 251 will like to let them know that they just picked up a future NFL star.
DAVIDSON FORCE ON DEFENSE
jaylon cheese
C. A. R. CHOOSE ANOTHER ROUTE
Sports Videographer Would you like to be the person who captures the special moments in the Super Bowl? How about the person who makes workout videos for the Miami Heat organization? Well to be this successful business person, you must learn the ins and outs of Videography. This can be a profitable business for you, as well gives you the room to be your very own boss. A career as a videographer is an excellent choice for individuals with a strong interest in videotaping a variety of events. Videographers must have a solid understanding of how camera equipment works and the techniques to videotape a variety of situations. Creativity, motivation, good eye-hand coordination, detail orientation, and patience are necessary characteristics. Videographers must have good communication and interpersonal skills and ability to interact with a wide variety of people. They must be able to work under stress and pressure and be quick on their feet to capture important moments. Videographers must also be able to adapt to the constantly changing technologies.
Videographers
Film & Video Editors
Producer & Director
Degree Required
Bachelor’s degree
Bachelor’s degree
Bachelor’s degree
Education Field of Study
Digital video camera operation and production techniques; lighting
Video and film production; relevant computer systems and software
Key Responsibilities
Set up and operate digital video cameras and related equipment
Average Salary (2014)
$56,501
Film or video production management; leadership; film studies; business administration; studio and on-scene personnel management Manipulate recorded Interpret scripts; oversee audio and video into video and film producstory-telling sequences; tions; direct camera and create and add various sound recordings; respecial effects to proview and select various ductions edits for final production $75,090 $90,300
POWER
IN THE YOUTH
THE MISSING LOTTO TICKET!!! Keyshawn Harper “Momma There Goes That Man” B.C. Rain Red Raiders Keyshawn Harper is Mr. Highlight reel or better known as “Momma There Goes That Man”. A name given to him from his fan base. The phase is commonly used with Harper when he gets the ball and eludes a defender and begin to skate down the sideline. Even though Harper average 100yrds a game through week 7 and has the ability to make a CB look silly when trying to tackle him, college programs stills seem to overlook him. A true game changer that only has a couple college offers and wasn’t pick to play in the Alabama vs Mississippi Allstar game must feel like the missing lotto ticket. A ticket that could change your entire life, in this case your entire college football team. Harper will be a dream come true to some college football program. Leading up to the 1st game of the season against the Chickasaw Chieftains there was some social media trash talking going on as well as some doubts from the media. The media tried to compare the both teams as equal, but Harper and the Red Raiders had other plans. Harper ended the game with 160yds and all eyes on him to start the season off. They tried to compare a 3A team to a 6A team and that alone
was kind of disrespectful from the media standpoint, not the other team. Because as a team you shouldn’t feel like you’re not equal to a team or better because of your area, says Harper. Harper not only have love for the game of football but he also has love for life after football. Harper is a part of B.C. Rain Aerospace program for high school students and says that’s what he wants to do after a life in football. When we asked Keyshawn what about the program he loves, he said it gives you an early hand on experience with airplanes. As you could imagine, Keyshawn wants to major in Aerospace Engineering where he plans to become the person who builds the airplanes. Harper, a 3.0 GPA kid says a ton of his motivation on and off the field comes from the younger guys on the team and around his community that looks up to him. Harper doesn’t take any of it for granted and once he lands on a college campus he plans on coming straight in and making an impact. As the CEO of The Athlete 251 I can assure you that Harper plans to prove all college coaches who looked over him, to never look over a kid again because he’s probably not attending a highly publicized high school.
FRESHMEN “PHENOM” TYLER LANG
PROTECT YOUR DREAMS
The Athlete 251 Turkey Giveaway The Athlete 251 is a Company dedicated to Athletes and their families. Throughout the year, we strive to give back to our city of Mobile Alabama, but in a way, that’s fit for Athletes and their families. For the 2016 football season, we did the Athlete 251 Hygiene Drive, where we asked the public to donate male hygiene products to us. The city responded to this drive with open arms. We were able to bless 2 local high
school football programs with items such as: Deodorant, Toothpaste & Toothbrush, Soap, Shampoo, and Mouthwash. For Thanksgiving; The Athlete 251 donated deep fried turkeys to Athletes families and, we were able to donate one turkey to a foundation that feeds the homeless. We are a company for the people, and will continue to bless Athletes and their families.
Alabama Lawmaker Files Bill To Split Public & Private Schools In Sports.
A lawmaker from north Alabama has filed a bill with the Alabama State Legislature that will attempt to split public and private schools when competing for state championships. Sources tells The Athlete 251 that the lawmaker is tied to Hoover high school. This is only speculations though. The Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAAA) consist of seven divisions from 1A to 7A, with Hoover in the same division as McGill-Toolen. Which means, they wouldn’t have to play for the Championship trophy. The bill would require the Alabama High School Athletic Association to adopt a rule to allow its public-school members to compete only against each other for state championships, and its private school members to compete only against each other for state championships. But the bill fails to mention any details behind the transition and how the new divisions would be split. If the bill passed, it will go into effect during the 2019-20 school year. We have spoken with several Athletes and their families and the response we have receive wasn’t pleasant from most the community. People feel that this is a way to keep certain schools achieving championship goals year after year. If the community voice their opinion loud enough, the bill will not pass, says one parent.
LIFE ALWAYS THROWS 1 MORE TEST YOUR WAY!!!