Athlete Spotlight

Mike Leverett Jr. is a three-sport athlete at Harlem High School. The junior switches from one sport to the other as the seasons change.

What doesn't change is his intensity.

"He works like a wild man," Harlem football and baseball coach Jimmie Lewis said. "He's a pretty good natural athlete, but he works hard, too. He plays the toughest position on defense and then goes to tight end on offense."

The junior linebacker was all over the field last Friday in a 44-6 win over Butler. Leverett tallied four sacks and forced two fumbles. He also was key on offense when he made a leaping catch from his tight end position on a ball that he first tipped into the air and corralled as he fell to the ground.

"(Harlem quarterback) Brendan Gray was about to get sacked. He threw it so if I couldn't catch it no one else would," Leverett said.

The catch came on third down and five and gave Harlem a first down.

It wasn't the first big offensive play he's had this season. Three weeks ago at Washington County, Leverett made a catch and sprinted 70 yards into the end zone only to have the sideline official rule him out of bounds at the 1-yard line. The general consensus among Harlem coaches and fans was that Leverett got into the end zone easily.

Either way, it was another example of Leverett's ability to change a game.

"He's an athlete. Football, baseball, basketball - all of them," Lewis said. "He's our leading tackler. To be honest, I wish I had about 35 of him."

In truth, 35 versions of Leverett might turn a locker room upside down. Though there's no questioning his athletic ability, more than one Harlem coach has called him "loose." It's not exactly a compliment, but not a put-down, either.

"Yeah, that's about right," Leverett said with a smile. "I kind of keep the team alive - make jokes and stuff."

Lewis said he gets it from his father, Mike Leverett, who graduated from Harlem in the early 1980s before becoming a professional baseball player in the Atlanta Braves organization. Lewis has coached both father and son.

"He's loose like his daddy was, but when it comes down to game time they're both ready to go," Lewis said.

Though Dad made his presence felt on the baseball diamond, Son is more at home on the gridiron.

"I don't call it following in his footsteps, really," Leverett said. "Dad was a baseball player, but I want to play football. I see it like this - I'm a football player that plays basketball and baseball, too."