Potts just keeps on growing for Pirates

Andrew Potts stands 6-foot-3, weighs 300 pounds and plays offensive guard in football.

But being a three-year starter for Topsail High School only tells half the story why he was chosen for the annual Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas, which will be played at 1 p.m. Saturday at Wofford College in Spartanburg, S.C.

"For me, it is a huge accomplishment and I really didn't expect it,'' Potts said.

His coach with the Pirates, Bryan Davis, thinks it is a well-deserved honor.

"He can do some things athletically that most people his size can't,'' Davis said. "From his waist down, he really looks like a Greek god.''

But because Potts still has a baby face, Davis doesn't think he has stopped growing physically and continues to mature mentally.

As a seventh-grader, Potts e-mailed Davis, explaining he wanted to play for the Air Force Academy when he was through with high school. Davis responded that he needed dedication on the field and strong academics.

He took Davis' advice to heart and, as a senior, has a weighted 3.99 grade-point average.

Potts remembers the e-mail. He said he thought the Air Force symbolized a college rather than a final destination.

"He was bigger than most kids at the middle school level, but to think like that typically means you care about the future,'' Davis said.

Fast forward, and he's accomplishing all the goals. He began his senior season at 315 pounds but got down to his optimal weight of 300 by midseason. And while it might not be the Air Force Academy, he is focused on attending a school in the Ivy League and programs renowned for academics.

He would like to attend a school with architectural engineering, since math and sciences are his best subjects. He is leaning toward automotive or aeronautics engineering with the idea of designing faster and more efficient vehicles.

In addition to football, he threw the shot put for the track & field team as a junior and plays recreation basketball to remain in shape.

He is the second Pirates' player selected for the Shrine Bowl. Ray Jacobs, who eventually played at North Carolina, was chosen for the game in 1989.