KC Star: A late-comer to football, no one’s missing Ruskin High’s future Golden Gopher anymore
Aireontae Ersery’s entire football career is just more than two seasons old, and the 6-foot-5, 290-pound Ruskin High senior has a lot to show over that short time.
He’s gone from a large, athletic football newbie to one of Ruskin’s few power-five conference pledges — he committed to Minnesota over the summer. And you won’t have any trouble finding Ersery on Friday nights this fall. No. 63 will get a breather at halftime.
Otherwise, coach William Perkins plans to use Ersery’s combination of strength, size, and speed at every turn: on offense at tackle, at defensive end and to wreak havoc on special teams.
Ersery said there’s a family atmosphere to the program at Ruskin, and that same feeling is what pulled him to Minnesota.
“I went to a camp up there, and we had great conversations. I talked to the coaches about what I want to accomplish. I opened up to them, I met the head coach, talked to kids, and it’s got a family vibe. That’s what drove me,” Ersery said. “Minnesota is beautiful also. It felt like Kansas City: kinda busy, but slow at the same time.”
Ersery has become a value part of the Ruskin football program, an example of what’s possible when hard work meets talent.
“Put in the work and schools will come for you,” Perkins said. “We think it will make a difference, and we hope it’s going to get more kids out.”
Ersery has accomplished a lot already, and his goals for his senior season are simple.
“I really want no sacks and a lot of tackles,” Ersery said.
No sacks?
“No sacks given up on offense,” Ersery said with a laugh.
It wasn’t that long ago that Ersery was an unknown. Now he’ll be impossible to miss.
https://www.kansascity.com/sports/high-school/article234259637.html
Go Gophers!!