Reebok Top 25 Most Dynamic Athletes: Elliott and Evan Berry

When your older brother is one of the highest-drafted safeties in NFL history, chances are the spotlight is going to be on you from an early age.

That has certainly been the case for twin brothers Evan and Elliott Berry, whose older brother Eric Berry was selected fifth overall by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2010.

As a result Evan and Elliott, now both in the 5-foot-11, 190-pound range, were flagged early as potential big-time football players.

"You could say it’s all getting old by this point," Elliott told 247Sports. "It just started for me so early and I think that had a lot to do with it. It was cool at the time but looking back, I’m surprised I got recruited in eighth grade."



Once they started playing for Creekside (Fairburn, Ga.), the brothers did not disappoint.

Evan, ranked No. 28 in the state by 247Sports as a cornerback, is the team's quarterback and offensive leader. Elliott is ranked in the Top 100 in the state and plays linebacker, solidifying the defense.

See our special Berry brothers photo gallery

Though both excel at their positions at Creekside, a move to the secondary is possible for each at the next level.

In addition to being standout football players, Elliott and Evan are top sprinters on the Creekside track team.

They teamed up on the 4x100 relay team that won the 2013 Georgia Class 5A state championship (42.35 seconds). Evan also took home the individual title in the 100 meters (10.95) and 200 meters (21.90).

The brothers are happy to be going through all of this together, particularly when it comes to the recruiting process.



"My parents talk to us about what we’re doing but it’s great to have Evan there," Elliott said. "I’m not going to say he’s another version of myself but it’s kind of like that. ... It’s cool to see the process from another point of view and I know everything that he’s thinking."

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Hometown: Fairburn, Ga. (population approx. 13,000)


School: Creekside High School (enrollment 1,316)


Sports: Football, track

Dynamic family: Not only are Elliott and Evan both standout athletes, but their older brother Eric also starred at Creekside and Tennessee before heading to the NFL. Their father, James, also played football at Tennessee, where he was a standout running back and was named captain in 1981.

"I remember when they were in my mom’s stomach and to see how big they are now, it’s just a crazy thing and I’m just proud of them," Eric Berry told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "Both of them had good report cards. That’s what I’m excited about."




College plans: The twins have yet to commit, but most predict they will follow the family path and head to Tennessee. According to 247Sports, both players have been offered by the Vols, along with Georgia, Georgia Tech, Florida, Miami, LSU and others.

"I’m not thinking about one school, any school in the country can come talk to me right now," said Elliott. "I’ll take my official visits and go through everything later."

"I mean, (Tennessee is) obviously slightly ahead because I grew up around Tennessee," said Evan. "But every other school, I’m open to every school, because we’ve got to give them a chance to prove themselves and impress me."

As for remaining teammates at the next level, Evan told 247Sports, "We’re trying to stay together. But if (Elliott) wants to go somewhere else and I want to go somewhere else, then, so let that be."
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With a combination of speed and power, Elliott and Evan Berry are tremendously versatile on the football field. Evan, the team's quarterback, has been effective as both a runner and passer. Elliott, a linebacker, creates matchup problems because he has the speed and agility of a defensive back but the strength and power of a linebacker.

The Berrys led Creekside to a 7-4 record, and turned in their best performance of the season in a must-win situation in the regular season finale.

Evan passed for two touchdowns and ran for another, while Elliott rushed for 96 yards including a 65-yard touchdown run in a 42-0 win over Drew (Riverdale). The win was the Seminoles' sixth in seven games, and pushed the team into the 5A playoffs.



However, Creekside's run was cut short after a heart-breaking 27-24 double overtime loss to Thomas County Central the following week.

Evan rushed for 57 yards and passed for 100 in the loss, while Elliott led a stout defense that caused three fumbles.

Creekside will be reloaded in 2013 with new head coach Olten Downs, who came to the team after two seasons at Riverdale.

The brothers are highly sought-after and most expect them to move to the secondary when they get to college. Evan, however, has told teams that he wants to remain involved on offense in some capacity.

"I just really want the ball in my hands — that’s all," he told 247Sports. "I can’t really say what position I want to play, but I just want the ball in my hands."
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With the speed that Elliott and Evan Berry display on the football field, it's no surprise that they're both standouts on the track as well.

That speed was shown in full in the spring of 2012, when the brothers led the Creekside 4x100 relay team to a win in the Fulton County Championships with a blazing time of 40.96 seconds, just more than a second behind the national high school record of 39.76.



"As soon as I heard 40.96, I started jumping up and down and I knocked the water cooler over," Elliott told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "They didn’t disqualify me but they made me go fill up the cooler again."

Despite having to replace current Auburn football cornerback Josh Holsey, the team won the 5A state title in 2013 with a time of 42.35.

Evan also took home the state title in the 100 (10.95) and 200 (21.90) in 2013.

Here are some more of Evan Berry's track highlights:

* Named to the 2013 Atlanta Track Club All-Metro Track and Field Team.

* Ran a 10.81 in the 100 state preliminaries in 2013, better than his championship time of 10.95.



* Finished third in the 100 in the 2012 state championships with a time of 10.65.
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