McKinley has one talented tailback in Ryan Brinson
Thursday, August 26, 2004 By CHRIS BEAVEN Repository sports writer
CANTON —— The anticipation starts as soon as Ryan Brinson gets the ball.
In an instant, anything can happen.
Anyone who has watched the McKinley High School star tailback run knows this. They’ve seen it before from No. 3.
A couple of fakes, a spin and a sudden blast of speed could mean touchdown in a matter of seconds.
“He amazes me every time he touches the football,” said McKinley assistant coach DeMarlo Rozier, the school’s career scoring leader and fifth all-time leading rusher. “I wasn’t a guy that had many moves. I was a straight-ahead, downhill runner. But he has just unbelievable moves.
“I watched all the (McKinley) guys in the ’90s — myself, Mike Doss, Adrian Brown — and nobody made moves like him. He just has tremendous moves, vision and instincts.”
Those talents has Brinson poised to become the school’s career rushing leader. He enters his senior season just 581 yards shy of Brown’s career record. And considering he once gained 525 yards during a two-game span as a sophomore, that nine-year-old record is in serious jeopardy.
But the record is not the number that occupies Brinson’s mind. Two weeks before the season, he didn’t even know how many yards he needed.
What number Brinson is more aware of — and much hungrier to change — is McKinley’s won-loss record the last two years, 3-7.
“That’s going to be different,” Brinson said.
With his dazzling array of moves and quick bursts of speed, the 5-foot-10, 180-pound Brinson can pile up yardage in a hurry.
Brinson stunned a variety of opponents with 11 scoring plays of 40 yards or more during the past two seasons.
Brinson set McKinley’s single-game rushing record midway through his sophomore season with 297 yards on just 21 carries against Grove City. That came one week after a 228-yard game on only 10 carries against Waterdown, Ontario.
His 2,367 career yards already rank sixth all-time at McKinley. No Bulldog ever entered his senior season with this many yards. He needs just 22 yards to pass Rozier for fifth, and Brown’s mark of 2,948 is easily within reach.
As impressive as all of these numbers are, Brinson knows too many of them have been accumulated in losses. He still can’t believe his 297-yard game was not enough to avoid a last-minute loss to Grove City.
“I sometimes sit back and think about it, and it doesn’t make sense,” Brinson said. “That we lost that game just puzzles me.”
Brinson knows if he sets McKinley’s rushing record and the Bulldogs have another losing season, the mark will have less significance.
“I know people would think, ‘Yeah, Ryan got to be the all-time leading rusher, but McKinley went 3-7.’ I don’t like it like that. I’d rather get wins and then have my accomplishments as an individual.”
He wants the Bulldogs as a whole to have an attitude where they hate losing.
“I don’t think we’ve fully got that attitude where ‘I hate to lose, and I ain’t losing no more, and I’ll do whatever it takes to win,’ ” Brinson said. “We’re getting there, and we’re not far away. Once we get to that, reach that last level where ‘I want to win and I’ll do whatever it takes,’ we’re going to be set.”
That’s why Brinson made the commitment during the offseason to be an impact player on both sides of the ball. In fact, his college future likely is at defensive back.
In his only game last year where he was full-go, two-way player, Brinson led McKinley to its biggest win in his career, a 40-8 romp over Massillon. He rushed for 147 yards and four TDs on 13 carries and also made nine tackles and intercepted a pass as a safety. He played quite a bit on special teams, too.
“I didn’t know I’d make that much of an impact on defense,” Brinson said. “And I have no problem going out there and playing defense. It’s fun. I like running into people and hitting people.”
Brinson knows McKinley head coach Brian Cross is counting on him to be a full-time two-way player, so he’s done his best to make that possible.
“I think I’m working a lot harder,” Brinson said. “Last year, I missed some (summer) practices and conditioning. This year, I got in there and worked hard like I’m supposed to. I’ve improved a lot from last year.”
Cross was impressed by the effort this summer.
“Ryan’s worked hard in the weight room during the summer and gotten himself bigger,” Cross said. “He’s close to 180 pounds (up from 168), so he’s gotten much stronger, and everyone knows he’s got tremendous quickness. I think he’ll be even more physical than last year, and he was pretty doggone good last year.”
Brinson’s ability to play physical is one thing that impresses Rozier.
“For a guy his size, he’s a very physical kid,” Rozier said. “He always finishes a run. He’s always falling forward. ... And on defense, he’s not afraid to come up and put the pads on somebody, where you say, ‘Wow, this guy can really play.’ ”
Rozier coaches McKinley’s defensive backs. He enjoys the thought of having Brinson playing in the secondary.
“He has a great knack for the ball, a great nose for it,” Rozier said. “That makes my job that much easier. He’s just a great athlete, and guy like that, you have to have on the field all of the time.”
Rozier appreciates how far Brinson has come in terms of working hard and becoming more of a leader.
“There’s no doubt he can play football,” Rozier said. “But what’s important is he’s being more vocal and doing things the right way all the time.”
Rozier, a strong leader on McKinley’s 1997 state and national championship team, knows first-hand that other players will respond to a star player who makes sacrifices and is dedicated to the team.
“Other guys will follow if you do everything full go all the time and you don’t take plays off,” said Rozier, who went on to play running back at Kent State. “And he can’t afford to do that with the other guys watching him. He’s had to be a leader, not just a gamer.”
Rozier did not hesitate when asked if Brinson could have fit in well with McKinley’s 1997 team.
“There’s no question there’d be a spot on the field for No. 3,” Rozier said. “He’s just a tremendous talent. I believe he’s a guy that can play on Sundays (in the NFL). I really do. I know he’s not that big for running back, but he can do it as a defensive back for sure. He’s that good of an athlete. He has the moves, the instincts. He’s physical and strong, and he has a good knowledge of the game.”
Rozier played alongside Kenny Peterson and Mike Doss, both of whom have gone on from McKinley to the NFL.
“Kenny and Mike at this point had a better work ethic and some of those little intangibles,” Rozier said. “But there’s no doubt he’s just as good as anybody that’s come through McKinley. He’s got to keep working out and doing things when he doesn’t want to do them. As long as his work ethic continues to increase, I’ve got full confidence in him.”
As the high school season approaches, Brinson also is juggling college offers. Iowa has offered him as a defensive back. Mid-American Conference schools are interested in him as a tailback. He also has heard from Michigan State, Penn State, Ohio State, Wisconsin and West Virginia.
“I would really like to run the ball (in college), but I will play defensive back if it comes down to it,” Brinson said. “I want to see what’s out there. But first, I want to focus on school like I’m supposed to and have a great senior season.”
That would mean becoming McKinley’s career rushing leader and, more importantly, leading the Bulldogs back to prominence.
“That’s a great accomplishment, and I’d be honored and proud to do that,” Brinson said. “I also want to get that record and have wins, playoffs and a championship behind it. That would be even better.”
