Warren De La Salle running back Allen Stritzinger thinks his ticket to a scholarship may come at defensive back.
The final portion of last week’s Sound Mind Sound Body camp at Wayne State was a session of one-on-ones featuring receivers matched against defensive backs.
With no pass rush on the quarterback, who could order a pizza before throwing the ball, and with no help from a linebacker to disrupt a receiver’s route, the defensive back was at a distinct disadvantage.
That was very much the case when Warren De La Salle’s Allen Stritzinger, a 2017 recruit, found himself turned inside out by a receiver, who worked his way into the open.
But the ball was thrown low, and when the receiver stretched to catch the pass, the ball glanced off his hands and into the air. Refusing to give up on the play, Stritzinger raced in and picked off the ball in midair and headed the other way.
It was an all-out hustle play by a guy known for his hustle.
“The play’s not over until it’s officially, officially over,” Stritzinger said. “If I can get to the ball, that’s exactly what I’m going to do. He lost control of it, so that still gave me an opportunity to still go and get the ball.”
The camp also provided an opportunity for Stritzinger (6 feet, 184 pounds) to prove he is more than just a running back, although he is one of the state’s best, helping De La Salle claim the Division 2 state championship as a sophomore.
“This is the first time I’m camping strictly at DB,” he said. “So, it’s been something kind of different for me, getting used to the different drills and things like that. I want to display my defensive back talent just as well as my running back.”
Stritzinger hadn’t played in the secondary until his sophomore season, and his junior season was cut short after four games due to a serious ankle sprain, so cornerback is something of a new position for him.
It also is a position of need for a lot of colleges. He entered camp with 13 offers, including Michigan and Michigan State. He recently had contact with coaches from Pittsburgh, Iowa, Maryland and Minnesota, so the number of offers could grow.
“Michigan, they’re filled up at the running back position now, but they’re still recruiting me as a defensive back,” Stritzinger said. “Michigan State has been recruiting me as a defensive back as well. A lot of schools know that I can play running back, so they want to see me on the defensive side of the ball as well.”
Showing off his athleticism is not difficult for Stritzinger. He recently finished fifth in the Division 1 110-meter hurdles and 12th in the 300-meter hurdles.
He can name three reasons why running hurdles has made him a better football player.
“Speed, power and technique all thrown together in one,” he said. “Bringing that on the field, especially playing running back, you need all those things. Instinct-wise, coming over that hurdle and flowing through … it’s a combination of things. It’s a very athletic thing to be doing. If you do it, you’re an athlete.”
After a brilliant sophomore season, Stritzinger struggled last season after the ankle injury and had to watch his Pilots finish with three straight losses, including a 25-21 first-round playoff game to Detroit East English Village.
In the off-season, coach Paul Verska retired and was replaced by Mike Giannone, who guided Macomb Dakota to two Division 1 state championships, breathing new life into the program.
“I love him!” Stritzinger said. “Coach Giannone, he came in changing the game, honestly. I love Coach Verska just as well, but when Coach G came in, he came in not looking to build, but just improve what we’ve already have there, so it’s fun. I’m glad he came in, because we came together as a team more. It’s a whole new vibe and gives a lot of kids new opportunity.”
That is what Stritzinger was hoping for at the Sound Mind Sound Body Camp. An opportunity to show he is more than just a running back.
“It was a great opportunity for me to learn from many coaches, different techniques that I don’t usually learn in high school,” he said. “I’m trying to utilize new techniques into what I used to do.
“I used to just go out there and let my athleticism take over and just play the position. But now that it’s about to transition over into college, it’s good to know the technique, because I want to be able to go into college smooth rather than trying to go out there and just say: ‘Hey, I’ve got athleticism,’ because it’s the best of the best at that time.”
Contact Mick McCabe: 313-223-4744 or mmccabe@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @mickmccabe1.
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