Agreed - he would be nice, and I think that he comes to OSU.esp. if Mr. Worthington climbs aboard.
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Agreed - he would be nice, and I think that he comes to OSU.esp. if Mr. Worthington climbs aboard.
If King is the No. 1 skill player in the state this year, Harriton's Callahan Bright appears to be the commonwealth's top lineman.
Bright is 6-2, 315 pounds, and is getting the call from just about everyone: Florida State, Louisiana State, Miami of Florida, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Southern Cal (although we must confess we do not know what time it was when Carroll dialed him up).
Midstate sports fans might remember Bright less as an ornery defensive tackle than as an ornery heavyweight wrestler.
As a sophomore, Bright barely made the weight limit of 277 pounds for the PIAA Wrestling Championships, then proceeded to throw several sizable wrestlers, including eventual PIAA champion Tyler Rees, off the dasher boards at Giant Center.
That particular tactic didn't help Bright, then at Glen Mills, a whole lot. He lost both to Rees and eventual two-time bronze medalist Zach Sheaffer of Cumberland Valley, and that was the end of his wrestling career.
No matter. Bright eventually was transferred back to his home district of Harriton, a Philadelphia mainline school that was home to the son of Eagles head coach Andy Reid, and he has flourished in football.
Harriton’s Callahan Bright (77), a two-way lineman, is one of the nation’s top college prospects, along with West Catholic’s Marques Slocum (75).
Posted on Wed, Sep. 01, 2004
Rams' behemoth Callahan Bright a dominant force
By Rick O’Brien
INQUIRER SUBURBAN STAFF
In trying to draw up ways to neutralize Callahan Bright, opposing coaches will no doubt endure sleep-deprived nights.
Bright is a dominant two-way tackle for Harriton High. With his pass-rushing and tackling abilities, the 6-foot-3, 320-pound senior is being recruited by top-flight Division I-A programs across the nation.
He's also versatile. While he will start at tackle on offense, he can also play guard or line up at fullback. The blue-chipper, who has been timed at 4.9 seconds in the 40-yard dash, showed his athleticism last season when he picked up a short punt and returned it about 35 yards for a score. And if the Rams ever need a fill-in quarterback . . .
"He might have the best arm on the team," Harriton coach Harold Smith said.
On defense, the 17-year-old from Bryn Mawr is capable of being a one-man wrecking crew. That is why he is expected to be double- and triple-teamed this fall. The health of quarterbacks depends on it.
"People say it's not possible, but I want to get 30 sacks this year," Bright said. "I really think I can do it."
According to one recruiting Web site, rivals100.com, Bright is ranked third in the country among defensive tackles. Last April, at a football combine held at the University of Virginia, he excelled in one-on-one drills.
After that eye-catching performance, scholarship offers started pouring in. At last count, according to Smith, 48 offers were on the table. Last week, Bright narrowed the list to seven: Miami, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Florida State, Texas A&M, Purdue and USC.
"I try not to let my head get too big," Bright said. "But, yeah, it feels pretty good to be wanted by those schools."
Bright plans to take his five official visits during and after this season. "It's not going to be easy," he said. "Each college has something different to offer."
Intimidating
Bright has worked hard in the weight room. He can bench-press 385 pounds, dead-lift 660, and squat 700.
"I've known him since he was in sixth grade," Smith said. "He's always been bigger and stronger than everybody else."
Harriton went 5-5 overall and 3-4 in the Southern Chester County League last year. In the Rams' 21-14 home loss to Great Valley, which won the league championship, Bright was a handful on both sides of the ball.
"He's intimidating," Great Valley coach Gary Phillips said. "You have to be aware of where he is on the football field at all times."
Sun Valley coach Joe Possenti was left with the same impression after the Vanguards were beaten by visiting Harriton, 33-19, in an SCCL matchup.
"He runs well, knows how to deliver a blow. . . . He's a load," Possenti said. "You can see he has a lot of potential."
Smith has countless times watched Bright overpower a lineman. "He can really do some damage," the coach said. "He's a physical player, very tenacious. He plays the game at a different level."
And how does Bright plan to handle the extra attention he gets from opponents when he is on defense?
"I have a lot of tricks up my sleeve," he said. "I'll do whatever it takes to fight off a block and get to the ball."
Detour
Bright did not arrive at Harriton until last year. After graduating from Welsh Valley Middle School, he attended Glen Mills for two years.
Glen Mills, located in Delaware County, is a school for court-adjudicated youths. Bright said he was sent there because of "behavioral problems."
According to Smith, Bright was required to spend sixth months at Glen Mills. "He ended up staying for an extra year-and-a-half," the coach said.
"He found it a positive place to be."
Bright agreed.
"It was tough at first," he said. "But, truthfully, that was the best thing that ever happened to me. I had to grow up and adapt to different situations. It taught me how to respect others."
Bright said he has made staying out of trouble a priority.
"I've matured a lot," he said. "I would rather work out or play sports than hang with a bad crowd."
Big brother
Callahan Bright is not the only star athlete in his family. His brother, Gene, graduated from Harriton in 2003 after excelling in football and basketball. He earned a football scholarship to Purdue, where he is a redshirt sophomore.
On Purdue's depth chart, the 6-4, 237-pound Bright is listed as a second-string defensive end. Smith said Gene Bright is "a very competitive kid. He loves any kind of challenge."
When it comes to sports, the brothers are a lot alike. "Actually, in football, I might be 10 times more aggressive than him," Callahan Bright said. "Football is what I wake up for. It's what I enjoy doing the most."
As a senior at Harriton, Gene Bright helped lead the basketball team to a 25-5 record and a PIAA District 1 Class AAA championship. The Rams advanced to the quarterfinal round of the state tournament.
Callahan Bright, who played for the Harriton lacrosse team last spring, plans to join the basketball team this year. Over the summer, he played in a couple of leagues with the Rams.
"He's aggressive, very athletic, and he's a strong rebounder," Clyde Jones, Harriton's basketball coach, said. "When he comes to play, he's a force."
Posted on Thu, Sep. 02, 2004
Callahan Bright: A Closer Look
School:Harriton.
Hometown: Bryn Mawr.
Position: Two-way tackle.
Height:6-foot-3.
Weight: 320 pounds.
40-yard dash: 4.9 seconds.
College possibilities: Miami, Oklahoma, USC, Nebraska, Florida State, Texas A&M, Purdue.
Favorite subject and why: Math. "Because my football coach [Harold Smith] is the teacher."
Favorite player and why: Warren Sapp, Oakland Raiders defensive end. "He dominates the game, really gets after people."
Aces Deal Shocker
If the Lower Merion players were doubting themselves going into yesterday's nonleague football opener against Harriton, it would have been understandable.
The Aces had a 17-game losing streak strapped to their backs, showed up with only 25 players in uniform, and had lost to their Main Line neighbors by 23 points last season. Optimism, if it existed, was hiding well beneath the white-and-maroon jerseys that had yet to see their first grass stain.
Lower Merion was also faced with the daunting task of dealing with Harriton's Callahan Bright, a two-way lineman with the power of a wrecking ball. The 6-foot-3, 320-pound Bright was rated the third-best defensive tackle in the country by the recruiting Web site rivals100.com.
Indeed, the deck appeared to be stacked in Harriton's favor. But, after going winless a year ago, the visiting Aces opened the 2004 campaign in near-perfect fashion. They romped to a surprising 31-6 victory.
Afterward, there were hugs everywhere. An assistant coach was doused with water. Proud parents hurried to meet exhausted, yet excited sons. Meanwhile, the Harriton players, shocked at what had happened, slowly made their way back to the school's locker room.
Lower Merion won its first game since it beat Central League rival Haverford High, 12-7, almost two years ago. Last year's squad went 0-11 overall, 0-9 in league play.
"This is great," Lower Merion coach John Vaccaro said while cradling Allie, his 8-week-old daughter, in his arms. "We've been working hard to get this program going in the right direction."
Vaccaro is in his third season as head coach. After going 2-8 in 2002, the Aces lost 11 games last season by a combined score of 436-96. Only twice did they score more than nine points. Yesterday, that mattered little to Lower Merion two-way lineman Jake Munick. "It's a completely new season," he said. "We can't worry about what happened in the past."
Under Vaccaro, it was the first time the Aces had scored more than 30 points in a game. And, after allowing nearly 40 points per contest last year (Penncrest handed Lower Merion a 73-6 league defeat in the second week of the season), holding a foe to six points was a major accomplishment.
"They went out and won the game," Harriton coach Harold Smith said. "There are no excuses."
Smith could have used one. Bright, coveted by high-profile Division I-A programs such as Miami and Texas, played at less than full strength. According to Smith, the massive senior lineman played with injured ligaments in his right foot.
"He was about 70 percent today," Smith said. "If he's not 100 percent (for Friday's nonleague game at Steelton-Highspire), we're going to sit him."
A hobbling Bright only played defense in the first half. In the second half, the standout right tackle doubled as a left guard on offense.
Despite his injury and being regularly double-teamed by Lower Merion center Ben Gage and left tackle Max Labowitz, Bright posted a team-high 12 tackles, including seven solos.
Gage, a 6-foot, 205-pound sophomore, made his first varsity start. "He put on about 50 pounds in the off-season," Lower Merion teammate Ben Ellison said. "He was really committed."
Ellison, a senior running back and linebacker, rushed 19 times for 114 yards, made a first-quarter interception, and recorded three solo tackles.
Lower Merion senior quarterback Sam Stabert, a third-year starter, completed 7 of 14 passes for 128 yards. His two first-half touchdown runs, propelled the Aces to a 24-0 lead.
The Aces were similarly sharp on defense. They intercepted four passes, and held the Rams to 44 yards rushing.
With fewer than 30 players, Lower Merion knows that breaking a 15-game losing streak in the talent-heavy Central League will be more difficult than beating a young and error-prone Harriton club. Still, after yesterday, there was optimism.
"It only takes 11 guys," Ellison said. "We're really committed to winning."
Posted on Tue, Sep. 21, 2004
Army honoring local athletes
Compiled By The Inquirer Staff
The Army wants you - to help it celebrate the 78 members of its 2005 U.S. Army all-Americans.
To do that, the Army is conducting a nationwide tour this year to introduce its selectees. And yesterday, upon its arrival here, Callahan Bright, a senior two-way tackle for Harriton High School, was introduced as such a selectee.
Today, Marques Slocum, a massive force as an offensive guard for West Catholic High, will join Bright on a roster chosen from a poll of 400 nominees from across the nation.
Bright, a 17-year-old, 6-foot-3, 320-pounder from Bryn Mawr, and Slocum, a 6-5, 329-pounder from West Philadelphia, will join 76 other high school standouts from around the country in the nationally televised U.S. Army all-American Bowl in San Antonio, Texas, on Jan. 15.
...And two highly touted defensive line recruits who might have played right away, Callahan Bright and Justin Mincey, failed to qualify for admission.