Incoming quarterback recruit Derek Kyler of DeKalb, Ill., is the Daily Chronicle Boys Athlete of the Year after being chosen the Daily Chronicle Football Offensive Player of the Year in 2016. (LINK)
From the story:
Kyler could be considered a case study in the national debate over the specialization of high school athletes. After being named the starting quarterback in 2014 for what would become one of the best football teams in the state, he still added baseball in the spring for his sophomore through senior years.
As a senior, after the football team made a run to the Class 6A semifinals, Kyler added basketball to his résumé once again before closing out his prep career with the baseball team.DeKalb baseball coach Dedric Wright on the Dartmouth-bound athlete after he batted over .400 and posted a 0.75 ERA while going 2-0 on the mound:
“One of the things I’ve always said about him is he’s the most humble kid I know. In the game of football, there’s a lot of ego being the quarterback. Your chest is puffed out and then to go basketball, where you’re not the man and you’re a role player and then jumping back to baseball where you’re kind of the man, that says a lot about being humble and being a team guy. That’s one of the best qualities he has.”Kyler passed for 2,403 yards with 33 touchdowns and five interceptions last fall. He also ran for 849 yards and 10 touchdowns.
