NHS standout Isaac drawing major interest

Published 12:55 am Monday, June 14, 2010

NATCHEZ — Natchez High School cornerback Brian Isaac is preparing for two things at once.

The upcoming senior is not only trying to help get his team ready for the fall, but is also trying to get himself ready for life after high school.

Isaac is drawing interest from several schools to play football at the next level, and two of those schools have gone so far as to give him certain instructions.

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“Arkansas State and Ole Miss are showing the most interest. There are other schools like Mississippi State, Tennessee, Alabama and Notre Dame that are interested,” Isaac said.

“Ole Miss, LSU and Mississippi State want me to visit their camps, and I’ve already made plans to visit Ole Miss, as well as Tennessee.”

And the academic side of being a student athlete is something Arkansas State and Ole Miss are stressing to Isaac as well.

“They’re saying if I attend summer school to get my core GPA up, they’ll keep in touch with me and keep calling,” Isaac said.

In addition to football, Isaac is also a standout baseball player, and recently participated in the UnderArmour baseball camp in Baton Rouge.

“I did that in May, and they invited me to their next one in July in Birmingham, Ala.,” Isaac said.

“It might be hard with all these camps being around the same time. I might have to leave one when it’s over and go straight to the next one.”

And that’s fine by Isaac, who is looking to play both football and baseball beyond high school.

“I see myself playing both. Everyone says I’m a great football player, but I like baseball a lot too. It’s all about whoever comes up with the first offer, regardless of the sport,” Isaac said.

But Isaac said he’s not in any rush to make a final decision.

“I’m just taking my time and relaxing. (The process) isn’t stressful at all. I’m just hoping my team has a wonderful season,” Isaac said.

And he’s not the only Bulldog player who’s looking for a strong season this fall.

“We’re very hungry. We work out every morning and evening, and just try and stay in good condition and get our speed up. This is our last year, and we have about 23 to 24 seniors, and our goal is to be 4-0 going into district,” Isaac said.

The Natchez players also want to get past the second round of the postseason, which they’ve been unable to do the previous two years.

“We want to get into the third round, and this is the team to do it. We have a lot of underclassmen stepping up for us,” Isaac said.

With those younger players beginning to make strides, Isaac said it’s important for him to set an example.

“We just have to have great character, a good attitude and be coachable, and have a love for the game. You want to lead others that are under you to work just as hard as you,” Isaac said.