2009 ARMY FOOTBALL MEET THE BLACK KNIGHTS
ANTUAN AARON
STEPHEN ANDERSON
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DEFENSIVE BACK/LINEBACKER SOPHOMORE • 5-9 • 183 • 1 VL DALLAS, TEXAS CRANDALL H.S. (USMAPS) A About Aaron: Versatile athlete who made impact on Army’s defense during impressive p ffreshman campaign last fall ... spent majority of rookie season at cornerback position ... poso ssesses physical skills to play rover position in head coach Rich Ellerson’s double-eagle flex defensive scheme ... one of Army’s top coverage cornerbacks ... boasts excellent quickness ... reacts well to ball ... sure tackler with explosive burst to football ... ended spring drills listed among top two players at field cornerback spot … made one tackle in Black/Gold game ... product of USMA Prep School ... letterman. 2008: Appeared in all 12 contests ... started each of last six games at cornerback position ... one of four freshmen on Army’s roster to earn varsity letter ... registered 28 tackles, including 21 solo stops ... notched one tackle for loss … piled up career-best nine tackles, including six solo stops, during road date at Rutgers … amassed career-high four tackles during Homecoming defeat of Eastern Michigan … all four hits were of solo variety in that affair ... finished with three stops versus Air Force ... credited with first career tackle for loss in that service academy outing ... added three hits during road tilt at Buffalo ... notched two solo stops in showings against Tulane, Louisiana Tech and arch-rival Navy ... added single tackles opposite New Hampshire and Akron. High School: Two-way standout at Crandall High in Dallas, Texas ... played for head coach Brian Barnett ... three-year letterwinner ... logged quality time on offense, defense and special teams ... saw action at wide receiver, running back and cornerback positions ... returned kickoffs and punts as well ... all-district performer at cornerback, wide receiver and kickoff returner spots as a junior ... first team all-area running back during final season ... voted district most valuable player that year ... served as team captain during junior and senior showings ... helped squad to district championship as a senior ... named to Kaufman County Dream Team final two years ... earned two additional varsity letters in track and field ... specialized in sprint events on track ... competed in triple jump as well ... regional qualifier in 400-meter dash and long jump during senior season ... listed in “Who’s Who Among American High School Students” during senior year. Personal: Born Jan. 21, 1989 ... given name is Antuan Xipher Aaron ... parents’ names are Greg and Ester Aaron ... brother, Gregory, currently serves in U.S. National Guard ... Antuan enjoys drawing and listening to music in free time ... major is undeclared. AARON’S DEFENSIVE STATISTICS Year 2008 Totals
G-GS 12-6 12-6
TT 28 28
PT 21 21
AT 7 7
TFL 1.0-1 1.0-1
AARON’S CAREER HIGHS Tackles: 9 vs. Rutgers, 11-22-08 Solo Tackles: 6 vs. Rutgers, 11-22-08 Assisted Tackles: 3 vs. Rutgers, 11-22-08 Tackles for Loss: 1.0 vs. Air Force
QBS 0-0 0-0
FR 0 0
PD 0 0
Int. 0 0
LINEBACKER JUNIOR • 5-10 • 219 • 2 VL IJAMSVILLE, MD. DAMASCUS H.S. (USMAPS) CO-CAPTAIN
A About Anderson: One of leaders on Black Knights’ defense ... hard-nosed defender with K ability to plug holes up front ... stout run-stopper a ... physical ball-hawker ... craves contact ... boasts exceptional quickness and explosive first step ... natural talents mesh well with new Army defensive scheme ... versatile performer capable of playing inside or outside ... expected to shoulder starting duties at mike linebacker position this fall ... vocal leader on and off field ... features solid understanding of head coach Rich Ellerson’s defensive concepts ... possesses excellent field instincts and strong nose for football ... passionate player who plays game with “swagger” ... owns great deal of self-confidence ... battled nagging hamstring injury throughout spring ... ailment limited time on field ... product of USMA Prep School ... two-year letterman. 2008: Played in 10 games overall ... drew nine starting assignments … finished season ranked second among team leaders with 82 tackles ... listed tied for 64th nationally with 8.20 tackles per game ... led nation in forced fumbles (0.5) ... ranked second on squad with 11.0 tackles for loss ... finished tied for 58th in national rankings with 1.10 tackles for loss per outing ... shared team lead with six pass breakups ... added one fumble return for touchdown ... registered two quarterback sacks ... tied single season school record with five forced fumbles … posted team-high five double digit tackle showings … registered career-high 12 tackles in road showing against Buffalo ... credited with nine solo stops in that outing ... posted 10 tackles on four occasions ... registered 10 hits against Texas A&M, Louisiana Tech, Air Force and Navy ... added career-best 3.0 tackles for loss in near-upset of Texas A&M ... notched back-to-back stops behind line of scrimmage to thwart Aggie drive that penetrated Army 30-yard line … also posted 3.0 tackles for loss during home defeat of Louisiana Tech ... garnered one tackle for loss and one pass breakup opposite Air Force ... stuffed stat sheet with nine tackles, including 1.5 for loss, one quarterback sack, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery during road date with Rutgers … recorded eight tackles during road win at Tulane … returned fumble 81 yards for first career touchdown versus Green Wave … also forced two fumbles opposite Tulane … notched five tackles, including one quarterback sack, during home defeat of Eastern Michigan ... added one forced fumble and career-best three pass breakups to help pace Homecoming win over Eagles. 2007: Appeared in all 12 games during freshman campaign ... credited with 15 tackles overall ... registered two tackles for loss ... served as backup at will linebacker spot throughout year ... enjoyed most productive game of season against Georgia Tech ... notched seven tackles in that outing ... recorded five solo stops versus Yellow Jackets ... credited with first two tackles for loss of West Point career ... stops behind line of scrimmage resulted in losses totaling 13 yards in that showing ... added six tackles against Rutgers ... garnered four primary hits opposite Scarlet Knights ... registered two hits against Tulsa ... chipped in with one primary stop opposite Golden Hurricane ... received extensive field duty on special teams ... one of six freshmen to earn varsity letter. High School: All-state performer at Damascus High in Damascus, Md. ... played for head coach Dan Makosy as a senior ... began high school career at Urbana High in Frederick, Md. ... all-county choice at linebacker as a sophomore at Urbana ... paced squad with 121 tackles ... selected to Baltimore Touchdown Club Super 22 Team and Maryland Dream Team before transferring near season’s end ... paced Damascus with school-record 181 tackles from linebacker position during final campaign ... two-way standout ... topped team in rushing with 1,582 yards and 22 touchdowns that year ... averaged 156.5 rushing yards per game ... served as team captain as a senior ... voted club’s most valuable player ... helped squad earn Maryland 4A state title ... rushed for 250 yards and three touchdowns during championship game played at M&T Bank Stadium ... all-metro selection ... all-county as well ... named county’s Offensive Player of the Year by D.C. Examiner ... voted area’s Defensive Player of the Year by the Gazette News ... chosen area Player of the Year by Sentinel newspaper ... earned additional varsity letter in wrestling ... volunteered time to work with cancer charities.
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