Being a leader has many variables, one of which is hard working and willing to go that extra mile and that is one of the main ways Kosciusko head football coach described senior TE/DE Ashton Greer.
Greer is a 6-1, 185, and is an athlete who will be utilized both offensively and defensively this season for the Whippets. He is described as a natural leader both on and off the field with plenty of personality to boot. 
“He is hands down probably the hardest worker in our weight room,” said Peterson. “He works very hard and he’s just as strong as anybody in there, even though he may not look like it, he definitely is. He just makes everybody around him better with his leadership.”
Greer is described as a very versatile athlete who can put his hand on the ground and be a true tight end because he runs blocks very well or he can be split out wide because he is probably one of the top four fastest players on the team. He is used out in space a lot and catches a high percentage of the passes thrown to him. Greer will see plenty of action at defensive end as well and uses his athleticism to get to the passer.
“He plays totally different than Lane (Outlaw),” added Peterson. “Lane is more of a bull rusher, collapse the line kind of an end and Ashton uses his speed and quickness to get to the ball. We feel very fortunate to have him.”
Being selected to represent his team as a Super 7 player, Greer felt humbled and honored at the same time.
“It made me think twice about what I had to do this year like stepping up and being a leader,” said Greer. “I just have to do my part twice as much. I feel like I am definitely a pusher and I won’t stop until my opponent gives up.”
Greer is definitely an “all-in” type of player because he is always speaking of how he can help the Whippets and how much the game of football has done for him.
“I really love it because it means a whole other world to me,” he said. “It can help me out with college and a lot of other things. I love being here in Kosciusko and I wouldn’t change it for the world.”
Greer considers himself the type of player that will out work and outsmart his opponent. He takes pride in knowing all the little nuances about the game plan and takes pride in preparation for a game.
“I put my heart into every game,” added Greer. “It doesn’t matter if it’s a game that doesn’t count, it matters to me. Every loss is a tough loss and I just can’t get a loss out of my head; it just makes me work harder to come back stronger.”
After his short stint over the summer at Daylight Donuts, which involved getting up at 4 a.m., Greer was ready to get back in the weight room.
“I hit the weights hard and feel like I have gotten stronger,” added Greer. “I really want to help my team get to State (4A State Championship) and I really want to play in college after this season as well. It might be Holmes (Community College) or it might be Ole Miss.That’s just something that I want to do.”
When Greer is not playing football he likes to keep himself busy with work, whether he is working to get better or trying to earn extra cash. In his off-time he enjoys watching movies and hanging out with his girlfriend.
“I’m just a hard-working young man and I stay busy,” concluded Greer. “If I’m not busy, I’ll just stay at the house and play a game and try to stay out of trouble, that’s pretty much all I do outside of football, but I will say this––I love Kosciusko, we are the best and I can’t wait to see the fans every Friday night.”
Editor’s Note: This is the final story in a 7-part series highlighting the top football players in the area who encompass leadership, athleticism and game-changing abilities for their teams in 2016. The players are taken from rosters of high school teams in The Star-Herald coverage area and are nominated by their coaches. Sports editor Stan Beall makes the selections. The players will be revealed one at a time over a 7-week period and are in no particular order. Previously selected were McAdams’ Mark Stewart, Kosciusko’s B.J. Johnson, Ethel’s Hayes Wood, Kosciusko’s Kevin Moore, Durant’s Quamon Newsom and French Camp’s Aaron Witt.
