The width and height of the wall behind Baylor School football coach Erik Kimrey’s desk is covered almost entirely by a massive dry-erase board. It’s a 4-by-15-foot stretch that serves as the canvas for the scribbles and doodles of an offensive-minded coach prescribing answers for any potential predicament a defense might pose.
Every so often, quarterback Keegan Croucher will stand in front of the colossal collection of codes, eyes scanning the assorted diagram of plays in an attempt to commit to memory what he will be asked to replicate later on the practice field with the Red Raiders.
“I call it Coach Kimrey’s art project,” said Croucher, who transferred to Baylor in December after having played his three previous seasons at Cheshire Academy in Connecticut. “One of the reasons I came here was to compete at the highest level and to be coached by elite coaches. Just since arriving, I’ve been working on a lot of aspects of my game. I’ve worked a lot with (Baylor quarterbacks coach and former Signal Mountain star) Reese Phillips on my footwork and learning to layer throws.
“I did my research before I got here, and I know the league we play in is one of the toughest in the nation. It will be a great test, a battle every Friday, but I’m going to be surrounded by great talent and the best coaches, so I’m looking forward to it.”
Once Croucher arrived on the Baylor campus, one day after the New Year’s holiday, he knew vacation was over.