All-Area Football - Caldwell is defensive player of the year

North Brunswick?s Jaron Smyre (left) is the Star News offensive football player of the year and Hoggard?s Terry Caldwell is the Star News defensive player of the year. (Photo by Photo by Matt Born)

The 2011 football season was tabbed as the year of the linebacker, and none were better than Hoggard?s Terry Caldwell.
Caldwell?s play was a large reason for the Vikings? resurgence in 2011 as they won their first six games of the season and cracked the AP top 10 rankings.
?My senior year, I really felt this team was more of a family,? the StarNews All-Area defensive player of the year said. ?Being the captain and being able to play a big role in the winning aspect, that?s what I like.?
He registered 101 tackles and was a force off the edge for Hoggard, but his versatility was what made him the backbone of the defense.
?He was our jack of all trades,? Hoggard linebackers coach Craig Underwood said. ?He did a lot of everything for us.?
At 6-foot-3, 210, Caldwell?s intimidating size, combined with his 4.62 40-yard dash time, made him a terror for opposing offenses. Of his 101 tackles, 13 went for loss, including two sacks. He also forced three fumbles.
?I think he?s everything you?re looking for in a linebacker,? Hoggard head coach Scott Braswell said. ?He?s a big-framed kid, he?s got size. He moves well. He?s got a real tough, physical disposition about him, and I think that?s critical for playing linebacker.?
But Hoggard used Caldwell in every facet of the game. He frequently blitzed and just as often fell back into coverage. He had two interceptions, one returned for a touchdown. Against Laney this year, Caldwell had 14 tackles and also played in man coverage most of the game ? and the Vikings won 14-7.
?I love blitzing, making interceptions, Just making plays in general,? Caldwell said. ?Just hearing my name on the intercom.?
He even contributed on offense, rushing for two touchdowns against New Bern in the Vikings? 35-34 overtime loss to New Bern. Caldwell threw in 13 tackles and was also named homecoming king.
?We knew the kid?s kind of a beast, if we just gave him the ball, he?s probably going to have some success and he did,? Braswell said.
Braswell may be more thankful for the turnaround which Caldwell helped to inspire. Following eight straight conference championships, Hoggard fell on hard times in 2010, falling to 4-8. According to Braswell, Caldwell was a large part of the Vikings? rebound to a 7-5 season.
?He had a great group of seniors, and Terry was obviously one of the top leaders,? Braswell said. ?He?s got just a great work ethic, great leadership.?
Before the season, Underwood took the linebacker aside and told him: As you go, the rest of the defense goes. Caldwell took the message to heart and embraced his leadership role both on the field and off of it.
?He really bought into that and became a true leader at practice,? Underwood said. ?On Friday nights, he and Shomari Jones were our two locker room leaders.?
Caldwell struggled to garner scholarship offers following his junior year, but following his senior performance, Braswell said the recruiting has picked up. Caldwell earned a scholarship offer from Western Carolina during the season and his coaches say he?s received interest from Furman, Elon and Charlotte.
?As soon as his senior film got out there, the offers started coming in,? Braswell said. ?He had a great senior year.?

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Source: http://www.starnewsvarsity.com/news/article/28660/all-area-football-caldwell-is-defensive-player-of-the-year/

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