Reebok Top 25 Most Dynamic Athletes: Christian McCaffrey

Football always has been Christian McCaffrey's calling card because it's in his blood. But the Valor Christian (Highlands Ranch, Colo.) senior-to-be isn’t solely focused on the gridiron. 
   
Not yet, at least. 
   
The all-purpose running back, who committed to Stanford in May, will continue to play basketball and run track while he still can. 
   
“It’s definitely important to me, because it’s something I’ve been doing since I was a little kid,” McCaffrey said. “I just fell in love with all three of those sports. I love every aspect and every dynamic of all of them. I figure I might as well play them as long as I can and have fun with it.”
     
MaxPreps and Reebok are teaming to highlight 25 of the most dynamic high school athletes in the United States leading in to the 2013-14 year, and McCaffrey is Colorado’s lone selection.

See the entire Christian McCaffrey photo gallery
 
Facing McCaffrey on the football field has been an unenviable chore for opponents. The 5-foot-11, 195-pounder who is the son of former Stanford and NFL wide receiver Ed McCaffrey accumulated 2,065 yards from scrimmage and 27 touchdowns last season. 
   
He also scored the lone touchdown in the Class 5A state championship game last season as Valor Christian captured its fourth-straight crown (third with McCaffrey in the fold). His older brother, Max, will be a sophomore receiver at Duke this season. 
   
“He’s grown up playing multiple sports and he takes athletic development very seriously,” said Rod Sherman, who will make the jump from offensive coordinator to head coach this season. “He does it in such a way where that athleticism can really take it to the next level.”

See all the Reebok Dynamic Athletes
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Hometown: Castle Rock, Colo.

School: Valor Christian (Enrollment 790)



Class: 2014

Sports: Football, basketball, track

College plans: McCaffrey committed to Stanford in early May, following the footsteps of his parents. Father and former NFL wide receiver Ed McCaffrey starred for the Cardinal from 1986-90 and his mother, Lisa, was a soccer player at Stanford. Christian McCaffrey had at least 22 scholarship offers, including Florida State, Notre Dame, Ohio State and Oregon. In-state schools Colorado and Colorado State also were in on the bidding.

Favorite athlete: “I would say it’s either Barry Sanders and Bo Jackson. Just the things they do on the field are insane,” he said.

Coach speak: “As a running back, his elusiveness sets him apart, but I really think all of those physical traits take a back seat to his character. Going back to his freshman year, he earned the respect of his teammates by the way he practiced, his film study and the way he listens to coaches.”
- Valor Christian coach Rod Sherman
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McCaffrey only has known winning in his three years with the Valor Christian football team. The Eagles captured 4A state titles his freshman and sophomore seasons and won again after jumping to 5A last season. McCaffrey was a key factor in each, elevating his rushing total each season.

Here are some more football accomplishments:
   
* He rushed for 934 yards as a freshman, 1,153 as a sophomore and 1,390 as a junior. 
   
* He also was key in the passing game (25 receptions for 462 yards as a freshman; 25 for 657 as a sophomore and 55 for 675 as a junior). 
   
* McCaffrey is a touchdown machine, with 21 as a freshman, 32 as a sophomore and 27 as a junior. 
   
* He sorted through an abundance of high-profile, Division I offers before deciding to follow his parents’ footsteps to Stanford. 
     
* He boasts a career average of just less than nine yards per carry (388 rushes for 3.477 yards). 
   
“There’s a lot of talk going around about our coaching change, but coach Sherman has been with us the whole entire time,” McCaffrey said of the offensive coordinator, who will take over the heading coaching reins from Brent Vieselmeyer this season. “I personally think it’s a bummer that coach Vieselmeyer left (for Houston Baptist University), because he’s an amazing coach and an amazing guy. But as far as football goes, I know our upperclassmen are ready to go.”
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McCaffrey has played both guard positions for the Valor Christian basketball team, helping the Eagles to the 4A semifinals each of the past two seasons. In track, he specializes in the 100- and 200-meter dashes and relay events.

Some of his other exploits include:
   
* McCaffrey averaged 13.4 points for the 22-5 Eagles as a junior. 
   
* He scored 31 points on 13-for-20 shooting in a loss to Columbine on Dec. 14.
   
* As a sophomore, he averaged 11.7 points and 4.2 assists for the 23-3 Eagles.
   
* He ran a 10.89 in the 100 in the preliminaries of the Colorado state meet and finished sixth in the finals (10.92).
   
* He ran a season-best 22.17 in the 200 prelims at state, then finished ninth in the finals.
 
“Basketball is great because, for one, it’s a fun sport and has a lot of the team dynamics that football does,” McCaffrey said. “Also, it has a lot of skills, like quickness, jumping ability and hand-eye coordination, that are really important for football too. 
   
“I think doing all three sports has tremendously helped me with my No. 1 sport of football.”
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