Catawba Football: Catawba’s Downs has big upside
Published 12:00 am Wednesday, September 3, 2008
By Mike London
mlondon@salisburypost.com
Sophomore tight end Grayson Downs’ season appeared in jeopardy after Catawba’s first offensive snap, but he made two fourth-quarter catches that provided a silver lining in a disappointing 14-7 opening-night loss to St. Augustine’s on Saturday.
Jamelle Cuthbertson ran the ball on Catawba’s first play. He gained 7 yards on a carry to Downs’ side, but when bodies unpiled Downs didn’t get up.
“Jamelle told me when he got tackled, he hit my knees as he was falling,” Downs said.
Trainers rushed out and Downs was helped off the field, but before he reached the sideline he was putting weight on the injured leg and gently pushing helpers away.
He wanted to leave under his own power.
Downs, a Mount Pleasant product who redshirted in 2006 and was a backup to All-SAC Shane Timmons in 2007, wasn’t going to get carried off on the first play of his first career start. Part lineman and part receiver, the tight end has to be a tough guy. That’s one of the things Timmons taught him.
“Timmons was like my big brother on the field and off the field and I learned so much from him,” Downs said. “When I’d mess up, he was telling me what I did wrong before a coach could even get there. He taught me to stay composed, taught me to go with my gut instincts when I was in doubt, and he taught me to be classy and show character.”
Downs had a chance to show character after he was fitted with a knee brace to protect an injury that has been diagnosed as a strained medial collateral ligament.
“When it happened, I really was scared and was thinking I might be out a long time,” Downs said. “But once I got the brace on, the knee felt pretty normal. Then when we came out for the second half, I was stretching it out, and I knew I’d be fine. And I was fine.”
Trainers felt Downs was OK to block with the braced knee, but they weren’t sure he should be involved in pass routes.
But Downs convinced head coach Chip Hester and offensive coordinator Matt Barrett he wasn’t limited physically.
“Grayson goes down our first play and really got his knee rolled up pretty good,” Hester said. “But he toughed it out. He not only came back, he stepped up his game in the second half.”
Down 14-7, Catawba took over on its own 6 with 8:51 remaining.
On third-and-7 from the 9, Downs pulled in a clutch 13-yard completion from quarterback Howard Williamson, who was also making his first start.
That catch kept hope alive and launched Catawba’s best drive of the game. Downs made another key grab ó a 10-yard gain for another first down ó but the 86-yard march ended at the St. Augustine’s 7.
Catawba didn’t name any players of the week for Saturday’s game, but Downs, 6-foot-3, 275 pounds, was one of the players who graded out well.
He’s a surprisingly good athlete, with good genes. His father, Mike, was a fine basketball player at Pfeiffer.
“Grayson doesn’t have the height Shane had, but he has more speed,” Hester said. “For a guy who’s 275, he can run, and he’s strong. He’s pretty much transformed his body in the weight room since he came in here.”
Downs accomplished that through workout sessions with roommate Erik Smith, a fullback.
When he was in high school, Downs often came to Catawba games to hang out with former Indian offensive lineman Daniel Yow, another Mount Pleasant product, and it was an easy decision for him to join the program.
“Catawba just felt more comfortable than bigger schools,” he said. “Two days after I visited, my mind was made up, and I called Coach Hester to tell him I was coming.”
Catawba is glad to have him. With Downs, fellow soph Lavar Marsh and freshman Holt Rains, the Indians are blessed at tight end.