g8terh8ter_eric
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I read this and thought everyone should read this...BTW Merry Christmas VolNation.
HIGH SCHOOL PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Creekside's Berry had right ingredients
Quarterback/safety/cook earns award with 2,500-plus yards of offense
By DERRICK MAHONE
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 12/22/06
Gerri Young thought she would be on her own while preparing the family's Thanksgiving Day dinner earlier this year.
With grandson Eric Berry getting ready to play the biggest game of his high school career, Young assumed that her long-time kitchen helper would break their tradition.
BRANT SANDERLIN / Staff
Eric Berry led Creekside to the Class AAAA quarterfinals.
But Berry called his grandmother three days before the holiday.
"Grandma, we still on?" Berry asked.
"On for what?" she said.
"I'm coming over to help you prepare dinner," Berry said.
It shocked and thrilled Young, a retired nurse, that Berry thought enough of their time together to come over a day before his Creekside team played Griffin in the second round of the high school football playoffs.
Sandwiched between two Creekside practice sessions, Berry was in his grandmother's Southwest Atlanta home stuffing turkey and making potato pies.
That's right ... the football star, one of the most exciting players in state history, also can cook.
Berry, a 6-foot-1, 195-pound quarterback/safety, was selected as the Journal-Constitution's Player of the Year after leading the Fairburn school to consecutive region titles. He rushed for 1,544 yards and passed for 1,008 during his senior season to lead the Seminoles to the Class AAAA quarterfinals.
During his four-year career, Berry compiled a 37-5 record as starting quarterback. He amassed 3,532 passing yards and 4,491 rushing yards rushing and on defense, he intercepted 16 passes. He is listed as one of the top defensive backs in the nation and will play for the East team next month in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl game in San Antonio. He committed to Tennessee last week.
"Eric is the complete package," said Seminoles coach Kevin Whitley, who has yet to taste one of his star player's famous sweet potato pies.
"I get so excited seeing him play football," said Young, who attends most games. "What really makes me happy is when we are in the kitchen. It is just the two of us having a time talking."
Before his grandfather died in 2000, Berry spent time with him fishing and talking about life and sports. Those meaningful conversations are evident in everything Berry does.
"He is just a superb, well-rounded young man," said Westlake coach Dallas Allen, who worked with Berry at various summer camps. "I've enjoyed talking with him, and you can tell he is something special outside of athletics. He has the grades, the athletic skills, and he is just a good person."
After a four-touchdown performance against Riverdale in the season-opener, Raiders coach Kevin Jones referred to Berry, also a state 200 meters sprint champion, as Superman.
"I'll give him all As across the board in sports," said Westlake's Allen, who has coached seven players currently in the NFL. "He is a playmaker."
Longtime friend and teammate Jason Stanley talks about the two bowling and playing the EA Sports NCAA video game. Although Berry is good at the Madden game, he struggles with the NCAA game.
"Eric won't play us in NCAA," Stanley said.
As far as bowling?
"I'm real inconsistent," Berry said.
But he was almost unstoppable on the football field, earning scholarship offers from almost every school in the country.
Just when the recruiting season was starting to heat up, the soft-spoken Berry put the breaks on what was going to be a hectic process by saying he will follow in his father's footsteps and attend Tennessee. Berry's father, James, was a running back and captain of the 1981 team.
"It felt like home," Berry said. "I was real comfortable there on my visit."
Around his family's Fairburn home, Berry receives no special treatment. There are chores that have to be done.
"One day he came home and told us that he had another scholarship offer," his mother Carol recalls. "We told him, 'Good. Now take out the trash.' He is just Eric to us."
And to his teammates, who often make Berry the butt of many of their practical jokes.
A few weeks ago, Stanley played the ultimate joke on Berry. Stanley, who has known Berry since elementary school, called him pretending to be a coach from Georgia Southern. Stanley offered Berry a scholarship to the Statesboro school. Berry politely declined.
Before hanging up, Berry said that he had some teammates that Southern might be interested in and gave him their numbers.
About 30 minutes later, Stanley called and said he had been offered by Georgia Southern and wanted to thank Berry for referring him to them. After hanging up, Berry felt good about the deed until the phone rang again. It was Stanley, laughing.
"Man, they got me good," Berry said. "I thought I had done my good deed for the day. We have had a lot of fun together. My teammates are like family."
But they aren't allowed in the kitchen.
HIGH SCHOOL PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Creekside's Berry had right ingredients
Quarterback/safety/cook earns award with 2,500-plus yards of offense
By DERRICK MAHONE
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 12/22/06
Gerri Young thought she would be on her own while preparing the family's Thanksgiving Day dinner earlier this year.
With grandson Eric Berry getting ready to play the biggest game of his high school career, Young assumed that her long-time kitchen helper would break their tradition.
BRANT SANDERLIN / Staff
Eric Berry led Creekside to the Class AAAA quarterfinals.
But Berry called his grandmother three days before the holiday.
"Grandma, we still on?" Berry asked.
"On for what?" she said.
"I'm coming over to help you prepare dinner," Berry said.
It shocked and thrilled Young, a retired nurse, that Berry thought enough of their time together to come over a day before his Creekside team played Griffin in the second round of the high school football playoffs.
Sandwiched between two Creekside practice sessions, Berry was in his grandmother's Southwest Atlanta home stuffing turkey and making potato pies.
That's right ... the football star, one of the most exciting players in state history, also can cook.
Berry, a 6-foot-1, 195-pound quarterback/safety, was selected as the Journal-Constitution's Player of the Year after leading the Fairburn school to consecutive region titles. He rushed for 1,544 yards and passed for 1,008 during his senior season to lead the Seminoles to the Class AAAA quarterfinals.
During his four-year career, Berry compiled a 37-5 record as starting quarterback. He amassed 3,532 passing yards and 4,491 rushing yards rushing and on defense, he intercepted 16 passes. He is listed as one of the top defensive backs in the nation and will play for the East team next month in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl game in San Antonio. He committed to Tennessee last week.
"Eric is the complete package," said Seminoles coach Kevin Whitley, who has yet to taste one of his star player's famous sweet potato pies.
"I get so excited seeing him play football," said Young, who attends most games. "What really makes me happy is when we are in the kitchen. It is just the two of us having a time talking."
Before his grandfather died in 2000, Berry spent time with him fishing and talking about life and sports. Those meaningful conversations are evident in everything Berry does.
"He is just a superb, well-rounded young man," said Westlake coach Dallas Allen, who worked with Berry at various summer camps. "I've enjoyed talking with him, and you can tell he is something special outside of athletics. He has the grades, the athletic skills, and he is just a good person."
After a four-touchdown performance against Riverdale in the season-opener, Raiders coach Kevin Jones referred to Berry, also a state 200 meters sprint champion, as Superman.
"I'll give him all As across the board in sports," said Westlake's Allen, who has coached seven players currently in the NFL. "He is a playmaker."
Longtime friend and teammate Jason Stanley talks about the two bowling and playing the EA Sports NCAA video game. Although Berry is good at the Madden game, he struggles with the NCAA game.
"Eric won't play us in NCAA," Stanley said.
As far as bowling?
"I'm real inconsistent," Berry said.
But he was almost unstoppable on the football field, earning scholarship offers from almost every school in the country.
Just when the recruiting season was starting to heat up, the soft-spoken Berry put the breaks on what was going to be a hectic process by saying he will follow in his father's footsteps and attend Tennessee. Berry's father, James, was a running back and captain of the 1981 team.
"It felt like home," Berry said. "I was real comfortable there on my visit."
Around his family's Fairburn home, Berry receives no special treatment. There are chores that have to be done.
"One day he came home and told us that he had another scholarship offer," his mother Carol recalls. "We told him, 'Good. Now take out the trash.' He is just Eric to us."
And to his teammates, who often make Berry the butt of many of their practical jokes.
A few weeks ago, Stanley played the ultimate joke on Berry. Stanley, who has known Berry since elementary school, called him pretending to be a coach from Georgia Southern. Stanley offered Berry a scholarship to the Statesboro school. Berry politely declined.
Before hanging up, Berry said that he had some teammates that Southern might be interested in and gave him their numbers.
About 30 minutes later, Stanley called and said he had been offered by Georgia Southern and wanted to thank Berry for referring him to them. After hanging up, Berry felt good about the deed until the phone rang again. It was Stanley, laughing.
"Man, they got me good," Berry said. "I thought I had done my good deed for the day. We have had a lot of fun together. My teammates are like family."
But they aren't allowed in the kitchen.
