HARWELLPHOTO.COM
Cuyahoga Falls senior Drew Gardner, seen here playing basketball last winter, is the catalyst for the 2011 Black Tiger football team.
Our SportsInk.com Athlete of the Week for Aug. 28-Sept. 3 is Cuyahoga Falls senior quarterback Drew Gardner.
Two weeks into the football season, Gardner has three touchdown passes, one rushing score and an 80-yard punt return for six points.
In a season-opening win over Barberton, he accumulated 471 yards of passing, rushing and returns.
“He is our captain but he is much more than that to this team. He leads in many ways,” Cuyahoga Falls coach Mike Miller said. “It's great to game plan with him in control as he has so many skills."
Gardner missed the entire 2010 football season with a knee injury and has come back this year with something to prove.
“I tried to keep my teammates going last year from the sidelines. This year I want to try to lead this team with more than words,” Gardner said.
Through two games, he has 401 yards passing and the Black Tigers (1-1) are much more competitive.
Gardner and his family moved to the Akron area in 1999 after time in Atlanta and Detroit.
He played soccer exclusively until the seventh grade and then wanted a change and football was the answer.
“I love the whole aspect of football, which is why last year’s injury was very frustrating for me,” Gardner said.
Gardner also is a guard on the Black Tiger basketball team and a star center fielder on the Cuyahoga Falls baseball team. He was an All-Northeast Ohio Conference selection in baseball earlier this year with a .373 batting average.
“He is a special athlete and a terrific teammate,” Miller said.
Gardner is involved in the schools DECA (marketing) program and plans to study medicine once he goes to college.
Senior
Cuyahoga Falls
Football
GPA: 3.4
TV: Tosh.0
Movie: Stepbrothers
Pizza: Pepperoni
Home cooking: Steak
IPod: Fifty Cent
Class: Physics
Bucket List: Sky dive