Making big strides as a sophomore

Quarterback Christian Green is young, but he is on track to be very successful at Tampa Catholic.

By DAVID MURPHY
Published December 4, 2007

Tampa Catholic quarterback Christian Green "hasn't even scratched the surface" of his capabilities, coach Bob Henriquez says.
	[Kathleen Flynn | Times]

In the chaos that enveloped Homestead's Harris Field after Tampa Catholic clinched its first state championship berth with a 28-21 win over Archbishop Carroll on Friday night, Crusaders coach Bob Henriquez tried his hardest to take the spotlight off the shoulder pads of sophomore quarterback Christian Green.

He pointed to a defense that has allowed 28 points this postseason, an offensive line that has provided plenty of running room, and a corps of wide receivers that inhales every pass thrown its way.

But a few moments later, while dissecting a performance he deemed "flawless," Henriquez said his sophomore signal caller was on the same track as some former Crusaders greats, including current San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Darrell Jackson.

"He hasn't even scratched the surface, as a sophomore, of what he's capable of doing," Henriquez said of Green, who completed 12 of 16 passes for 143 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 86 yards and two more scores while helping his team earn the right to play Madison County in the Class 2A title game in Orlando.

Despite playing quarterback for the first time this spring, the sophomore has completed 65 percent of his passes, thrown for 1,419 yards and 14 touchdowns, and has been picked off just six times, three of them in the second start of his career. He's also rushed for 598 yards and six touchdowns on 101 carries.

More impressive than his numbers is his physical stature: long arms, long legs, shoulders that appear custom-built for pads, and a 6-foot-2, 180-pound frame that makes him look older than some players several years his senior.

"He's always been that way," said his father, Hiram Green, a former USF basketball star who stands at 6 feet 8. "He's always had that look about him."

At 15 years old, Green is young for his grade, thanks to a decision his parents to enroll him in school early. He and older brother Brandon, junior defensive end for the Crusaders, are separated by just one grade despite being born 16 months apart.

Basketball was Green's first love. Last year, he averaged five points and 3.5 rebounds per game as a regular part of the Crusaders' rotation. When football season ends, he'll rejoin the team.

But his future lies on the field. Last year, he led the Crusaders with 10 touchdown receptions. He was such a force that Henriquez and his coaching staff entered the spring with a package of 8-10 plays for him to run from under center, much the same way the Pittsburgh Steelers used athletes like Kordell Stewart and Antwaan Randle-El.

When Green first became quarterback, he was hesitant about the change. He started slowly, throwing just four touchdowns and averaging under 70 yards passing per game while losing four fumbles.

For a young athlete at an unfamiliar position on a team filled with seniors, it could have been a confidence-shattering experience. But Green continued to work with Tampa Catholic assistant Shane Stafford, one of the leading passers in the Arena Football League the past two years with the Storm and Predators, and something clicked. He threw for more than 120 yards in four of the Crusaders' last five games, and has thrown just one interception in three playoff games.

Stafford said Green is making reads senior quarterbacks don't make, and his physical ability speaks for itself, whether he is blazing 56 yards for a score or throwing 45 yards on the run, both of which he did against Carroll.

"From Week 1, it's amazing how much he's grown," Stafford said.

It remains to be seen whether he'll remain at quarterback. Henriquez says he likely will. But many, including Stafford, think his physical stature predicates a switch to quarterback in college.

Green, however, has the best answer of them all: "Whatever helps the team win."

[Last modified December 4, 2007, 00:56:08]