By Christopher Barker, Northeast Cobb Patch
Gatorade chose Kell High School running back and safety Brian Randolph as one of 50 candidates for its national award because of his record in the classroom and on field, where he amassed stellar statistics in helping lead the Longhorns to a 12-1 record.
The 6-foot, 185-pound Kell senior is unusual among today's gridiron specialists because he plays 48 minutes nightly, no matter which team has the ball. And Kell head football coach Derek Cook can't say enough about Randolph's contributions.
"I've coached some of the best players to come out of Cobb County, and Brian's probably the best," said Cook, who has coached future NFL players. Cook coached quarterback Kenny McKinley at South Cobb High School prior to McKinley's seasons with the University of South Carolina and the NFL's Denver Broncos, as well as Kell graduate Jonathan Dwyer, who has distinguished himself at Georgia Tech and with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Cook also coached Cherokee High School quarterback Jayson Foster, who won the Heisman-equivalent Walter Peyton Award for 1AA schools at Georgia Southern, "and Brian is as good or better than them all. He plays on both sides of the ball, and he's great at it all."
In his final season at Kell, Randolph rushed for 1,068 yards and 16 touchdowns and caught 17 passes for 414 yards and two touchdowns. On defense, the Longhorn safety had 162 tackles, 98 of them by himself, four interceptions, broke up nine pass plays and recovered two fumbles. On special teams, he returned seven kick-offs for 191 yards and a touchdown.
Randolph was ranked on Georgia's all-state first team as a junior, when he rushed for 1,300 yards and 12 touchdowns and had 125 tackles and three interceptions.
"He's had an unbelievable career at Kell," said Cook. "He's been a big part of our success since he arrived. He's an amazing player on the field, on the practice field and in the weight room.
"Anything that has Brian Randolph on it is great; he doesn't do anything halfway. I've never even seen him finish second in a sprint while conditioning – he's going to be first. When it's time to work, he's going to be in the front of the line. He's the guy you want everybody watching – he has an incredible work ethic, character, integrity and leadership. There's not a knock on the kid, and that's hard to find. He's got it."
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