3-STAR RECRUIT, 5-STAR PERSON: Plymouth’s Cotton ready for next adventure
Plymouth High School senior Idrys Cotton is surrounded by family members after he signed a National Letter of Intent to play football for Northwestern University.
The love and admiration Idrys Cotton has earned from his family, friends and coaches were on full display Wednesday afternoon in a Plymouth High School meeting room.
Decorated by his mom, Sarah Blacksher, in the purple and black colors of Northwestern University, the room was packed with admirers of Cotton, who signed a National Letter of Intent to play football beginning next year for the Big Ten Conference’s Wildcats.
At 6-foot-4 and 285 pounds, the dominating offensive line talent was pursued by a long list of premier collegiate football programs, including Michigan State University and Colorado.
But when it came down to choosing his next destination, the engaging three-sport star put academics high on his “wants” checklist.
Once a Wildcat …
“Northwestern checked all of my boxes,” Cotton said Wednesday afternoon. “It’s Big Ten football, high academics, the place is beautiful and the people there are beautiful.
“It really turned into my dream school. I couldn’t ask for anything more.”
A stellar student, Cotton said his second choice was Duke University, which, like Northwestern, is among the country’s most demanding academic institutions.
Raised in Ann Arbor by his single mom, Cotton moved to Canton prior to his freshman year at Plymouth.
Cotton praised his mom for her relentless support.
“Even though I play three sports, she’s never missed a game,” Cotton said.
His love affair with football started at the age of 6 when he played for the Ann Arbor-based Michigan Warriors.
Fast for a big man
“I used to play running back and linebacker,” Cotton revealed, with a believe-it-or-not smile. “I didn’t play offensive line until I got to Plymouth.”
College coaches were not only impressed by his commitment to academics, they also loved the uncommon agility and speed (Cotton runs a 4.9-second 40-yard dash, he said) a man his size possesses.
“My breakout game — the game where college coaches first started noticing me — was our first game my junior year when we played Livonia Churchill at the University of Michigan,” Cotton recalled. “I played guard and I was pulling a lot that game. The coaches liked how I operated in space.”
A frequent practitioner of the pancake block — when a lineman flattens the man he is squared up against — Cotton recalled one block he registered during the Wildcats’ victory over Salem this past season that stands out amongst his most memorable.
Relentless blocker
“I pushed my guy back about 15 yards until he ran into one of his teammates and they both fell over,” Cotton said.
“I’ve always been taught to not only win the battle at the line of scrimmage, but to take the player I’m blocking all the way to the end zone.”
In addition to starring on the gridiron, Cotton is a starting forward for Plymouth’s basketball team and an All-State thrower for his school’s track-and-field team.
Judging by the huge throng of people who attended his signing ceremony, he is also an All-World person.
Ed Wright can be reached at 734-664-4657 or edwright@socialhousenews.com.
