APS Cool Kid: Delando Crooks

Delando Crooks will have his choice of top colleges this school year based on his talent and his academic success.

His list of recruiting offers reads like a who’s who of college football.

Stanford, University of Georgia, Auburn, Ole Miss, Perdue, Vanderbilt, Georgia Tech and North Carolina are all aware of one of Georgia’s top offensive linemen, Carver Early College senior Delando Crooks.

Jamaican born, Crooks is fairly new to the game of football, first playing during his ninth grade year.  His natural ability, however, seems to make up for taking the field later than other students his age.  “Crooks is a very athletic offensive lineman with very good feet, great flexibility, and the ability to get off the ball quickly, writes Chad Simmons, National College Football recruiting analyst for Fox Sports.  “As his body matures, his game will too.”

The 6-5, 272 pound defensive tackle has managed to impress fans and colleges with his athleticism, but his academic talent off the field is proving to be equally impressive.

Trumping brawn with brains, Delando enters his final year of high school as a dual enrollee at both Carver High School and Georgia State University.  With notable scores on both the SAT and ACT, he has already attained 16 college credits and plans to study engineering, once he chooses a school for his post high school career.

Applauded by the Atlanta Public Schools coaching staff and a role model to his peers, Crooks spoke recently to ESPN  about his desire to host a fundraiser for children with cancer.

For his ability to score on and off the field, our APS Cool Kid of the week is the class of 2013’s Delando Crooks.