SYLACAUGA – Chris Daugherty is a busy guy.
A junior at B.B. Comer Memorial High School, Daugherty doesn’t spend much time just loafing around. He holds a 4.0 average in his classes and is ranked first in the junior class and is also a member of the Tigers football squad. Once school and practice are over for the day, Daugherty goes and works for a few hours at Domino’s Pizza.
The average person might feel a little stressed to keep a schedule like his. Daugherty says he can handle it all.
“I work pretty hard,” he said prior to practice Tuesday. “I’m just used to it. I’m used to having a lot of stuff going on because I work and I have school so I’m continuously going. It’s hard sometimes, but it’s fairly easy.”
So what does a typical day look like for Daugherty?
“Wake up, come to school, make all A’s, come out to the football field and smack into people, go home and try to wipe some of the sweat off and go make pizza,” he said with a smile.
Daugherty’s work ethic is one of things first-year head coach David Norred first noticed about him.
“Chris is a 4.0 student,” Norred said Tuesday. “He started last year all 10 games and good Lord willing he’ll start every game we play this year. He’s a leader on the football team. He’s by far our strongest player. And of course he’s our biggest player — he’s 6-5, 250.
“We’re asking a lot of him. He played some linebacker early in the year and now he’s playing defensive end and offensive tackle, which I think that’s his position as a college player down the road is probably going to be an offensive lineman.
“He does a tremendous job work ethic-wise. He’s here every day, does whatever we ask. In the weight room he’s the first one in, last one out. A kid like that you can win with.”
A win is something the Tigers are desperate for and Daugherty and his teammates are looking forward to getting a victory on Friday when they face Winterboro.
“I expect (Winterboro is) going to run the ball a lot and we’re a run-oriented defense; we like to stop the run,” Daugherty said. “I think we’re going to have a really good game defensively and offensively also because we’re a powerhouse team and they’re not so built for that. I think we’re going to have a really good game. I think it’s going to turn out to be the first win of the season.”
Though the Tigers’ 0-4 record matches their record at this time last season, the junior leader said he could see a difference in the team.
“We have a lot more fight this year,” Daugherty said. “The coaches are really pushing to try to get the best out of you. We are continuously working. They push the best, the best, the best that you can give.
“And they’re really fixing the program, like they’re getting us new stuff and the practices are very organized, everything’s 110 percent different.”
Comer hasn’t picked up a victory in 15 games, but Daugherty said the team is getting better.
“We’re making progress,” he said. “We’re working hard in the weight room and on the field and stuff. It’s coming together.
“It’s like we don’t know how to win yet. We’re working on getting everybody to where they play all four quarters and play the entire game, don’t wait on somebody to score on you and then try to come back or let one bad thing happen and try to come back.”
Daugherty still has another year left in high school, but is starting to think about pursuing football at another level. And for the guy who juggles so many things, playing at just any school isn’t going to cut it.
“I definitely plan to go and if at all possible I would like to be a part of the athletic program whether it be any sport,” he said. “But if at all possible I’d like to go to a Division I college.”
Daugherty has already visited Auburn University with a group of recruits from around the country.
“I went to a football game for recruits,” he said. “We got to go and meet other recruits from around the country and they treated us really nice. We got to watch the game in nice seats and had free food all game. It was really nice. We got to be a part of their tradition like Tiger Walk.”
The junior said playing in Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturdays would not be bad at all.
“That’d be very nice. It’s been my dream,” he said.
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