Football has always been a part of Keegan Proudlockβs life, but what started as just a hobby turned into something much more, it turned into a dream.
βAfter a few seasons my love grew for the sport and my hobby turned into a lifestyle and a dream. Footballβs kept my head on straight and has been the biggest influence in my life. Football means a great deal to me and I will always fight to keep my dream going,β says Proudlock.
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A slot cornerback for Croxford High School, Proudlockβs hard work carries from the field to his every day life as the cornerback says βI love working, whether that be for a job, working out, or just on myself in general.β
Proudlock enjoys playing as a slot cornerback because it gives him the ability to play in the open field and he enjoys the competitiveness of being one on one with his competitor.
βI love my position because it gives me a chance to play defence in the open field. Plus, Iβm very competitive and at my position Iβm given the opportunity to play one on one and showcase my drive to be the better athlete and win my individual matchups on every down.β
Not only is he athletic but Proudlock also brings aggression and intelligence when he is on the field, as his prior experience as quarterback gives him a natural edge.
βI might look like a defensive back, but Iβll always hit like a linebacker with no hesitation. Another edge is to read an offence, figure where the ball is going and line up a perfect angle. In my past years Iβve played quarterback so reading an offence is almost second nature,β he says.
Proudlock has a few players in mind when asked who he models his game after, βI like to model my game qualities just like Sean Taylor. He was a great cover defender, but also was never scared to lay a big hit out over the middle.β
When it comes to off the field, Proudlock takes pride in his leadership qualities and compares them to former NFL linebacker Ray Lewis, as Lewis was a player that was able to draw 100-percent effort from everyone around him.
The cornerbackβs leadership qualities are hard to miss as Proudlock has taken a leadership role on his team, spending most of his time helping the rookies and also making sure his team can find a recipe for success.
βSo far through this season Iβve really enjoyed working with the rookies to keep a mindset within the football team to be relentless even after Iβm gone. Our team is having trouble connecting the puzzle pieces so in the next weeks Iβm going to be working hard from a captainβs point to drive my players so we can come together and win games,β he says.
Proudlock is still not sure who and what he wants to be after high school as he is still in the process of weighing his options but when it comes to football, the cornerback knows he wants to pursue the next level, whether it is junior, U Sport or NCAA.
When speaking of the recruitment process, Proudlock says, βThe process has been slow but in the past couple weeks my name has gotten out there more and finally things are starting to pick up.β
His top three choices for football at the next level are University of British Columbia, St. Francis Xavier and his hometown choice, University of Calgary.
When it comes to why Proudlock believes he will be successful at the next level, look no further than his hard-working attitude as he already has plans for how to prepare for what the next level has to offer.
βDuring the off-season Iβll be working with former teammates already in the next level and getting a sense for what my body needs to be in order to dominate.β
Keegan Proudlock
Position: Slot Cornerback
Ht/Wt: 5β10, 170 lbs
Teams: Croxford High School, Raiders Spring
Class: 2019[/private]
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