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LB Kai Parnam |
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Three that shined at the NIKE camp in
Atlanta
By Greg Biggins
Date:
4/9/2001
The NIKE Camp at Georgia Tech showcased some
amazing talent with a particularly strong group of wide receivers.
Still the top three players in attendance we saw were Kai Parham,
Gerald Riggs and Kedric Golston. |
All three are sure fire top 50 players nationally and were
just as impressive off the field as they were on it.
We've
known Parham for the past three years as this was his third NIKE
camp and every year he's gotten better. A year ago he came to the
camp at Penn State and was 6-3, 222 pounds, did 24 reps on the bench
and jumped 32" in the vertical. He couldn't run because he had a
sore leg but still stood out in the drills.
This year he was
a rock solid 6-3, 230 pounds, ran a 4.65 in the 40, 4.31 in the
shuttle, did 28 reps on the bench and again jumped 32" in the
vertical. He looked great in the linebacker drills showing great
lateral mobility and technique.
In the one on one drills,
which are non contact, an opposing running back was running a little
circle route and right when he caught the ball, Kai just unloaded on
him. The crowd and the rest of the linebackers went crazy. Of course
we had to inform Kai and the rest of the players that the drill was
a non-contact drill but he just smiled and said he didn't know how
to hold back, even without pads.
One of the things that we
look for in rating a player isn't just how he does on the field, but
what kind of competitor he is, how his work ethic is and does he
really like the game. So many times we'll have players confirm for
camps but at the last minute they'll back out saying they have
nothing to prove by going or they're afraid they might hurt their
stock.
In Parham, Riggs and Golston, you're talking about
three monster players who have absolutely nothing to prove to
anyone, but just love to compete.
"I came out here because I
wanted to see where I stood with some of the best players in the
South," Parham said. "I went to the camp at Penn State last year to
see how I stacked up with the top players on the East Coast. This is
my third NIKE camp and I've learned something new every year. I know
the exposure is great but I'm coming more to learn and see how good
my peers are."
Parham is not just a workout warrior either as
evidenced by his junior numbers of 140 tackles, 18 quarterback sacks
and five interceptions. He's been offered by 18 different colleges
ranging as far West as UCLA and and as far South as Florida State
along with just about everyone else in between.
"I'm really
wide open right now," Parham said. "I've always liked Florida State
a lot growing up but I'm also looking at Virginia Tech, Tennessee,
Virginia, Michigan and a lot of other schools. I'll be taking my
time with the recruiting process and have no plans to commit
early."
If there was any player who didn't need an excuse to
skip the camp, it was Riggs. The Student Sports Junior of the Year
is already recognized as one of the nation's top five running backs
and is hearing from schools all over the country. Many players in
Riggs shoes would have said the camp would just be a waste of
time.
On top off that, Riggs didn't even hear about the camp
until Friday (camp was Saturday) and because he was visiting his
mother in Atlanta, he didn't even have his football cleats. Still he
came out and was easily the top running back in
attendance.
At 5-11.5 and a rock solid 222 pounds, Riggs ran
a 4.53 in the 40 on a very slow, spongy field that made a lot of the
40 times slower than normal. By the way, did we mention Riggs ran in
tennis shoes since like we said before, he didn't have his football
cleats. He also jumped 31 inches in the vertical and did 11 reps on
the bench.
"I haven't really worked much in the last two
months so my 40 time and strength numbers weren't that good," Riggs
said. "I just heard about the camp and wanted to come out and see
what was going on. You can always get better and if it's football, I
want to be a part of it. I'm not one to duck anything."
In
the running back drills, Riggs was the top back and showed a great
burst, ability to change direction and power. In fact, his running
style is eerily similar to his father Gerald Sr. who had some great
seasons with the Atlanta Flacons. Despite the fact that his father
attended Arizona State, Riggs said he's only looking at schools in
the South.
"My family is here and it means a lot to me to
have them around and see me play," Riggs said. "I don't have a
favorite or anything right now, I just know I want to stay in the
South and play close to home."
Before the NIKE camp, we had
heard from more than one source that Kedrick Golston was the top
player in Georgia. By the end of the camp, not only were we in
agreement, but think Golston could be one of the top two to three
defensive lineman in the entire country.
Golston came late
and as a result, missed out on the bench and vertical but showed
great athletic ability for a big man running a 4.93 in the 40 and a
4.59 in the shuttle. He measured out at 6-4, 278 pounds and is built
like a college player already.
Like Riggs, Golston was also
late to hear about the camp but still came saying he wanted to show
everyone who the top player in the South was.
"I wanted to
come out and see if I could get better," Golston said. "There's a
lot of good players here but I knew if I came and showed what kind
of player I was, I would help myself out. I want to prove that I'm
the best and the only way to do that is to compete against the best
so that's why I'm here."
Golston sure got the respect of his
peers. In interviewing several of the offensive lineman at the camp,
when asked who was the best defensive lineman they faced, everyone
said Golston. When we asked if they held their own with him, not one
player acknowledged getting the better of him.
In the one on
one drills, Golston was a man among boys and showed the kind of
ability to take his game as far as he wants to. He's an absolute
beast who was splittiing double teams with his quickness or just
bull rushing opposing lineman any time he wanted to. Golston was
every bit as impressive as Tommie Harris was at the NIKE camp in
Austin a year ago and Harris was the top defensive player we saw all
year.
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