Kweku Claybrook '22 Recruiting Profile

I am a competitive and tenacious football player who works hard on the field and in the classroom. I play varsity football for St. Anthony's High School in Long Beach, CA. Junior season I started at safety and receiver. I earned All League Second Team honors in the Del Rey League and was awarded the Offensive Impact Player of the Year award by my team. In my sophomore year, I was a starting Safety and led all Defensive Backs on the team in tackles. I also ran varsity track as a freshman. I ran 11.94 in the 100m, 23.90 in the 200, and 55.00 in the 400m. In the 100m, I posted the the 8th fastest time in my league and the only 9th grader to crack the top 10. I posted the 5th fastest time in the 200m, again, the only 9th grader to crack the top 10. Lastly, I posted the second fastest time in the 400m in my league. I look forward to improving on all these times in the spring. Covid-19 cut my sophomore track season short, but in two meets I already set personal bests in the 100m (11.44sec) and the 200m (23.54sec).

My goal is to continue my athletic career in football.  I would like to go into Sports Medicine, more specifically Athletic Training. This will allow me to stay part of the sports environment. I believe I am a good candidate for any football team because I understand that I might be recruited for a certain position but the team may need me to play a different position. I am open to new  a position and learning new areas of the field. For example, my first year playing 12u AAU Football for the Long Beach Lobos I played defensive end and my second year for the same team I was moved to outside linebacker and running back.  In high school, I was asked to play cornerback and running back but due to some player injuries I played safety from time to time and this past season was asked to play receiver. I do whatever I can to help the team improve, because I am a versatile competitor.

I understand that all recruits are working towards the same goal but what makes some of us different is how much we want it and how passionate we are. This affects how much effort we put in to what we are trying to do. In the summer of 2020, I began working with a skills coach, Errol Tucker former NFL player, to increase my speed, agility, balance, and coordination on the field. I've also taken the time Covid-19 has presented and worked on my Defensive Back as well as Receiver skills.

In addition, I do my best to keep my grades at a 3.0 or higher. I struggled transitioning from middle school to high school in my first semester. As a result, I earned a 3.0 GPA. I earned a couple low grades and I had to make adjustments in my approach to school so I had the grades I wanted. In my second semester I earned a 3.0 GPA with no low grades. I am serious about my grades and football and will always make the adjustments to do my best. My grades have been up and down my first two years requiring some self-reflection during summer 2020. I currently have a 2.82 overall gpa. In fall 2020 I earned a 3.43gpa . I took advantage of the time Covid-19 gave me a made adjustments to my study habits and skills.

Life, like in football and school, is about adjustments. I'm making adjustments and improving as a student, football player, and most importantly, a person.