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'07 OH ATH Aeric Clay (Eastern Michigan Verbal)

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osugrad21

osugrad21

Capo Regime
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(Photo from Mansfield News Journal)

'07 OH ATH Aeric Clay

No profile on Rivals or Scout yet, but this type of performance deserves a break in policy. With Aeric being a first year player, he is obviously under the radar.

Blade

8/30

Clay on track to be football star
<center></center>
First-year Bowsher High School coach Rob Garber loves talking about how easy it was to convince track star Aeric Clay to do the impossible: play football.
<center></center> Clay, the Division I state runner-up in the 100 meters in 2005 and 2006, once avoided football the way a sprinter avoids pulled hamstrings.<center></center> Last Friday, Clay, a senior, rushed for a City League-record 377 yards and three touchdowns against Southview in his first high school game. Bowsher lost 43-32.<center></center> According to Garber, his initial meeting with Clay upon taking the Bowsher job was short and sweet.

<center></center> Garber: "I want you to play football."<center></center> Clay: "I don't know."<center></center> Garber: "Let's try it this way. Aeric, you're playing football."<center></center> Clay: "OK."<center></center> Garber knows what you're thinking. And, you'd be wrong.<center></center> "It was real easy," said Garber, who attended Whitmer and was also a football coach there and knew of Clay's track success at Whitmer. "Aeric said he hadn't played football in a long time. I said I don't care. It's not an issue.<center></center> "You hear about a coach getting that kind of kid once in his career. Here I am in my first year and I'm lucky enough to get him."<center></center> Everybody knew about Fast Aeric Clay, who made a name for himself in the 100 meters, first at Whitmer, and now at Bowsher.<center></center> But no one knew what to make of Clay the football player. Not even Clay. That's what made his 20-carry debut so shocking.

<center></center> That and the fact that Clay didn't enter the game until the second quarter.<center></center> "I surprised myself," said Clay, who sat out the first quarter for missing a practice because of a dentist's appointment.<center></center> Said Garber: "The first couple of snaps, you could tell he was trying to feel his way through it."<center></center> When the game ended, Clay had galloped for runs of 50, 51, 58, 58 and 70 yards, leaving Garber in awe.<center></center> "You wonder how does he walk out on the field and just do that," said Garber, who blamed Clay's three fumbles (he lost two) on inexperience.<center></center> Football is a tough sport, played by tough athletes. It's not for the faint of heart.<center></center> Clay is 6-2, 210. He has run the 40 in 4.3 and the 100 in 10.4. Physically, he's a man among high school boys.<center></center> Mentally, Clay faced some hurdles.<center></center> "I heard I couldn't handle [contact], that football was just a fad for me," Clay said.<center></center> True or false?<center></center> "I'm getting stronger mentally every single day. Teams are going to come at me harder, so that means I have to work harder."<center></center> Clay said playing football will prepare him for track season. He set his sights on Piqua's Brandon Saine, who has beaten Clay two straight years in the Division I 100 finals and will attend Ohio State on a football scholarship.<center></center> "[Saine] and football is the motivation," Clay said. "I play football to help me with track. I want to win state this year, so that's why I play football."<center></center> Clay also plays football because he's good at it.<center></center> How good?<center></center> Garber believes Clay is capable of a 400-yard game.<center></center> "I guess we're going to have to stay tuned," Garber said.<center></center> Expect Garber to continue giving Clay the ball and plenty of praise.
 
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If he keeps putting up those types of numbers, Aeric could be the perfect RB recruit for this class... Someone who would come in and redshirt for sure and may take a little more time to develop. He wouldn't be buried behind Beanie then, and would allow the staff freedom to do with Saine as they please...
 
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OSUBucks22 said:
If he keeps putting up those types of numbers, Aeric could be the perfect RB recruit for this class... Someone who would come in and redshirt for sure and may take a little more time to develop. He wouldn't be buried behind Beanie then, and would allow the staff freedom to do with Saine as they please...
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Good point but at 6'2'' 210 he might just be a great fit for the will lb position. With that speed and throw on 20-30 more lbs and he could be a nightmare for opposing offense. Or even a WR if he has some nice hands. He is a protypical top 100 player athlete, but he just began playing so he is a diamond in the rough and one that is worth taking a chance on.
 
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Definitely has the build of a football player as opposed to that of a track only athlete. It sounds like the kid is very raw to say the least. Maybe bring him in as strictly an athlete and teach him a position (RB, WR, etc). Terrific size/speed combo...
 
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crazybuckfan40 said:
Good point but at 6'2'' 210 he might just be a great fit for the will lb position. With that speed and throw on 20-30 more lbs and he could be a nightmare for opposing offense.
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I'd keep him at RB even if he did gain 20-30 pounds to go up to 230-240. Look at Beanie Wells who supposedly is up over 230 now. Can you imagine having two RBs at 240+ with that kind of speed? Not to mention Saine...
 
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Saine has always looked like a RB to me, and Clay didn't really sound like he wanted a big future in football. Maybe he'll change his mind, but he sounds more like a track guy after HS.

Interesting read, though. Thanks.

EDIT: I noticed he did this against Southview, a team that might not be that great, but which did win a state championship in Division II a couple of years ago. You've got to think it was fairly good competition. At least, the opponents were well-coached.
 
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Link


Springfield stops Clay, but Bowsher prevails

By DONALD EMMONS
BLADE SPORTS WRITER
<center></center>
Bowsher's Aeric Clay didn't come close last night to duplicating his season-opening 377-yard rushing effort.
<center></center> Springfield's run-defense had plenty to say about that as it denied the Rebels' fleet-footed tailback the chance to cut loose for another monstrous performance.<center></center> They hawked Clay all night, limiting the proven track star to 71 yards rushing on 21 carries.<center></center> Yet Bowsher, benefiting from good field position and three turnovers in the second half by Springfield, came away with a 20-7 road win at Springfield High.<center></center> The Rebels (1-1) trailed 7-0 at the half before turning the game in their favor to give former Central Catholic assistant Robert Garber his first win as a head coach.<center></center> "It feels great, but we've still got a lot of work to do," Garber said.<center></center> "I'm still looking for us to play that perfect game."<center></center> Clay, whose record-setting effort a week earlier came in a losing effort, left the Blue Devils' field pleased about the contest.<center></center> "All week everything was
focused on one thing, which was we had to win," Clay said.<center></center> "So, I'm really satisfied. As long as we came out with a win I'm happy."<center></center> Fullback Darrell Pettaway
actually paced the Rebels' running attack by rushing for a team-leading 85 yards on 15 carries, including touchdown runs of 3 and 9 yards.<center></center> Following a Springfield fumble in the early stages of the third quarter, Rebels quarterback Alex Griffin tied the score at 7 when he found Princeton Bryson wide open for a 35-yard touchdown pass with 10:18 to play in the period.<center></center> "My line did an excellent job of blocking and I had time to look and throw," said Griffin, a converted tight end, of his second touchdown toss of the season.<center></center> Midway through the third quarter the Rebels took advantage of superb field position following a short Blue Devils punt that traveled only 17 yards to the Springfield 19.<center></center> After Clay darted through Springfield's defense for a 16-yard gain, Pettaway finished off the drive with a three-yard plunge to give Bowsher a 13-7 lead with 6:15 remaining in the third quarter.<center></center> Pettaway's second touchdown run came early in the fourth quarter to cap off a three-play drive that only covered 21 yards.<center></center> Dave Connelly, who is in his first season as the Blue Devils' head coach, summed up the game for Springfield.<center></center> "Turnovers killed us," said Connelly, whose team was guilty of three fumbles and an interception.<center></center> "They got a little momentum swing with us being pinned down on our end of the field in the second half.<center></center> "I thought our kids played hard, but anytime we got something going we fumbled the football."<center></center> Springfield took the early lead when quarterback Christopher Creech scored on a one-yard run with 2:59 left in the opening quarter.<center></center> Nonetheless, defending against Clay was something the Blue Devils made a priority throughout the night.<center></center> Clay had only 23 yards rushing on seven carries at halftime.<center></center> He had a touchdown run of 67 yards called back because of clip.<center></center> "Our run defense has been
really good all year," Connelly said.<center></center> But I've never seen anybody run that fast on a football field."<center></center> A week after watching Clay run roughshod over Southview, Garber commended his top ballcarrier for plugging away against a defense intent on stopping him.<center></center> "He [Clay] is not a secret anymore," Garber said. "It showed when they came right after him.<center></center> Springfield's Montral Hayes fumbled three times while leading the Blue Devils with 110 yards rushing on 20 carries.<center></center> Hayes provided the brunt of the Blue Devils work in the first half, plowing his way to 98 yards on 14 carries before halftime. He carried the football on seven straight plays to account for 51 of the 52 yards on the only scoring drive of the first half.<center></center> Hayes broke free for a 27-yard gain on his first attempt of the series.<center></center> He followed that with carries of 3, 4, 14 and 3 yards, setting up a one-yard run for Creech that gave the Blue Devils a 7-0 lead.
 
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