New Ethel head football coach Dave McCrory was looking for someone to step up and be the leader of the team.
It did not take him long to find Akeem Erving, who is the third player selected to the Star-Herald Top 10 Players to Watch.
This is the second of 10 installments of the Star-Herald 2018 Top 10 Players to Watch. The players were nominated by head football coaches at Kosciusko, Ethel, McAdams, French Camp and Central Holmes. The players were chosen by the Star-Herald sports staff and will be revealed one week at a time. Previously selected were Antonio Harmon of Kosciusko and Percy Lewis of McAdams.
While a man of few words, Erving is the unquestioned leader of the team.
“He has been here every day and goes and picks other kids up,” McCrory said. “He leads us in stretching every day. He has done a good job of being a leader for us. The kids listen to him, that’s the big thing. You have some leaders that try to be leaders but the way he has handled himself when he walks through the door he has been very positive and the kids listen to him. He is going to do every rep and he’s going to be the last person here every day. He just doesn’t want to leave.”
McCrory said Erving, a 6-foot 220-pound senior, is likely to start at quarterback but could play at several different locations on the field.
“He’s going to be a big part of what we do. He’s going to play quarterback; he may play some running back and will probably play some middle linebacker. He could play some H back and I hear he can punt and kick. He will have to do a lot for us this year and seems to have accepted that challenge.”
Erving said he did not plan to be the team leader; it just happened.
“I just try to help everybody out,” Erving said. “I didn’t set out to be a leader but somebody had to do it. I just want to win some games and get better every week. We have got to have all the guys coming to summer workouts and keep working on both sides of the football. We have to keep coming and keep getting better.”
With the Tigers riding a 14-game losing streak, McCrory said Erving is key to his plans.
“It’s extremely important for him to buy in early,” McCrory said. “He’s a kid that the other kids look up to. When they see him doing it, they are going to do it.
“He works hard and is going to say yes sir, no sir. He is going to be where ever you need him to be. He is going to be on time. He is going to try to work and get better every day. He is going to stay. He is going to hang around and listen. That’s the main thing about him.”
The Tigers have been playing 7-on-7 this summer and McCrory said he has seen improvement as the summer has gone on, especially out of Erving.
“We have had very good pace, running our stuff and doing our passing concepts,” Erving said. “He has looked good in the 7-on-7s. He has been very competitive and that was one of the things that I wanted to hit on with these 7-on-7s this summer. I want us to compete, not only against schools we play but against each other. I want them to see that they can compete against other schools. You can’t let the same old mentality take place.”
Erving said he would like to go play football in junior college, preferably at East Mississippi.
“I would like to go to EMCC and play for them,” Erving said. “It’s something that I need to do. I want to go play in college because not many people from my family has ever been to college to play sports. I would like to be a welder, so if I don’t play football, I’ll go get a welding certificate.”
Erving also starts on the basketball team at power forward and said he averages 10 points and 10 rebounds a game.
