(S25) - PT 3 - Early Decisions

[Memento Mori]

Like all good cornerbacks, Brandon Booker is blazing fast. Booker was a track star in high school, setting a school record in the 100-meter dash when he competed in the state championships. As is often the case with high school players who're faster than everyone else on the field, Booker played running back in high school and was considered a four-star recruit by Rivals.com. Booker went to college in his home state of Arizona, attending Arizona State University and playing for the Sun Devils.

Recruited as a running back, Booker found success harder to come by at the position when he reached the college level. He was still one of the fastest players on the field, but no longer had the breakaway speed required to outrun the entire defence on a reverse or an outside handoff. Booker touched the ball just twenty times on offence for the Sun Devils, finishing the season with fewer than 150 scrimmage yards. It became apparent to the ASU coaching staff that running back was not the position best-suited to Booker or where he'd reach his potential, and the following offseason he transitioned to defensive back. Here, he finally found success at the college level and became a starter on the defensive side of the ball. Having made the switch, he'd start all 26 of his remaining college games and record 10 interceptions during this time period. The initial lack of success at the college level was challenging, but Booker rebounded and became an excellent college player who eventually turned pro. (256 words)