Schools
Elijah McClendon's Selfless Play Helps Pirates
The Boca Ciega High School football star could gripe about not playing his natural position. Instead, he lauds his teammates for making him a better player and putting the Pirates in position to win games.
When the Pirates notched their first win of the season last month in smothering Northeast 48-3, Elijah McClendon played a big part.
The senior picked off a Northeast pass and returned the ball 70 yards for a score in the first quarter. But before the opening quarter was finished, McClendon scored again when he scooped up a fumble and scored from 30 yards out.
McClendon could easily be bragging about his feat one month later. It was one of the best performances a Pirates player has had this season.
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But McClendon is not like that. McClendon is a team-first kind of guy. Taking credit for having such a big game almost makes him uncomfortable.
"It was my teammates," McClendon said of his big plays. "If one of my teammates doesn't force a fumble, I have no shot of returning that ball for a touchdown. If I didn't have teammates blocking for me when I made that interception, I wouldn't be able to score a touchdown.
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"This is a team game."
It's that type of attitude that doesn't come as much of a surprise from his coach, Antez Brinson.
When Brinson took over the Pirates program this spring, he knew he had a talented player in McClendon. But for the team to success, Brinson needed McClendon to play other positions than what he is normally accustomed to playing.
McClendon is one of the better players in the county. He has tentatively agreed to play for Middle Tennessee State next year but of course he is open-minded to better offers if they come along.
One way to get a better offer is to excel at his best position. But that is safety and Brinson has McClendon playing mostly linebacker.
Yet McClendon has taken one (if not more than one) for the team. If it helps to play a foreign position in order for the Pirates to get a win, so be it.
"At the next level he will probably play safety," Brinson said. "That the thing about Elijah: He is such a team-first guy, he will play anywhere if it helps the team. He does anything I pretty much ask him to do. We've moved him around a couple of different spots and he has been very selfless. It may not be the best position for him to play on the next level but it gives us the best chance to win.
“That's the type of mentality we are developing in this program. It's not about me, it's about us.”
"I just come out here and work for my team," McClendon said.