Ordinarily someone who didn’t begin playing running back until seventh grade doesn’t start there his first year in high school. Ordinarily a boy barely in his teens doesn’t do a lot of cleaning up when he thinks no one is looking. And ordinarily a ninth-grader isn’t the second-leading rusher for a football team about to play in a state final.
Those are a few reasons why Baylor’s George Porter is no ordinary freshman.
Porter and his Red Raiders teammates are set to take on Ensworth on Thursday at Tennessee Tech University in Cookeville for the Division II-AA championship. Kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. EST.
Porter came to Baylor this year from Ooltewah Middle School, and Red Raiders coach Phillip Massey said he impressed his new coaches right away with his speed and work ethic. The 5-foot-7 1/2, 160-pounder has been clocked at 4.45 seconds in the 40-yard dash – second only to senior quarterback and Mr. Football winner Jacob Huesman on the team.
Porter was hoping to get a chance to return some kickoffs on the varsity but worked his way into the mix for playing time at running back. Before Baylor’s season reached the halfway mark, Porter was moved into a starting position and has been there since.
“It kind of took a while to see how he was going to react, especially in the league we play in,” Massey said. “That’s a lot of pressure on a freshman, but it got to where we couldn’t deny it.”
What also can’t be denied is Porter’s modesty. To date he’s carried 191 times for 952 yards and nine touchdowns.
“The O-line has been amazing, or there wouldn’t be a George Porter,” he said. “I think it should be ‘The O-line and George Porter.’ They block. The offensive linemen put the work in. If it wasn’t for that, we would not be able to play for a state championship.”
When the Red Raiders played Pope John Paul II at Hendersonville on Sept. 10, Porter was selected player of the game by Baylor’s radio crew. After carrying 24 times for 131 yards and two first-half touchdowns, he went to the press box to do an interview. Meanwhile, Massey stayed on the field and was interviewed by a midsate newspaper reporter.
By the time Porter returned to the field, all of the other Baylor coaches and players had gone to the locker room. That’s when Massey noticed Porter had begun picking up the empty cups scattered along the visitors’ sideline to put in the trash.
Later at a home game, a Red Raiders assistant entered the locker room thinking the players were gone, only to find Porter alone sweeping the floor.
“That’s the kind of attitude that’s really impressed us as a staff about him,” Massey said. “He’s also won over his teammates by the way he’s handled himself.”
Baylor’s only loss in 11 games was 41-29 on Oct. 22 to Ensworth, which has won nine consecutive since losing to Oakland and Montgomery Bell Academy. Porter’s counterpart Cornelius Elder, a sophomore and Mr. Football finalist who ran for 260 yards on 15 carries in the Tigers’ victory over the Red Raiders, can similarly relate to his situation.
“I was nervous when I first took the job,” Elder said. “I wasn’t sure if I was ready, but after the MBA game, even though we lost it, I knew from that point that I could compete at this level. I was pretty excited from that game on.
“I’m small, so I don’t like getting hit much. I would rather avoid contact and find open space to run in and use my speed.”
Porter, who had 19 carries for 90 yards, said a lot was learned from that loss that can be applied Thursday. And how many freshmen seem to know better about application than him?
“A lot of times it’s the small, little mistakes,” Porter said. “You’ve got to take care of that to get to the next level. I think we’re ready – physically and mentally.”