Football, Basketball, Volleyball
Favorite athlete: LeBron James
Favorite team: Philadelphia Eagles
Favorite memory competing in sports: Beating Abington Thanksgiving and celebrating with my classmates when they stormed the field.
Most embarrassing/funniest thing that has happened while competing in sports: Blocking a field goal with my groin and forgetting to wear a cup. OUCH!
Music on iPod: Rap/Hip-Hop (Kanye West, Chief Keef)
Future plans: Get a college degree
Words to live by: “Don’t be too cool to work hard.”
One goal before turning 30: Start a family, have a home and a career.
One thing people don’t know about me: I volunteer every October for the Lupus Foundation of America at a 5k walk/run.
By GORDON GLANTZ
It was going according to plan for Cheltenham’s Chris Myarick back in the summer of 2012.
He was gearing up for his junior season, fully expecting to break out as a tight end and put himself on the radar of Division I colleges.
And then, on one fluke play in a passing league game, everything changed.
Myarick extended himself for the ball and landed awkwardly, with his unpadded shoulder contacting the facemask of his helmet as he hit the ground.
The diagnosis: A broken collarbone.
A bad break – literally and figuratively – at a bad time.
It was unexpected adversity, and it seemed an unfair detour on the road to glory.
Lesser people, with more time served on the planet, would have folded.
But Myarick was not raised by his parents – Albert and Annette – to be a quitter, or to spend an inordinate amount of time wallowing in self-pity.
He worked religiously at rehabbing and spent the first six games of the season on the sidelines, aching to get on the field but finding other resources, as he came out of his shell and was more vocal.
“It was tough, just being on the sidelines, wearing a jersey,” he recalled. “It was frustrating, especially when you know you can help.
“I tried to get more involved vocally, talking to guys as they came off the field. Looking back, if I played those six games, I probably would have stayed quiet and let the seniors do the talking.”
When he did return, the offense was clicking. Myarick didn’t see the field much at tight end, his chosen position, but jumped into the mix at defensive end.
“He hung in there,” said Cheltenham coach Joe Gro. “He still came every day, the whole time. The second he was cleared, he was back on the field.”
“I learned I could be a force on defense, too,” said Myarick. “I was happy to get back out there.”
Lost Time
Although he did not start at tight end as a junior, there was no doubt that the job was Myarick’s to lose this past season.
At 6-5 and 225, and possessing the type of hands and athleticism sought at the position, the sky was the limit.
Gro saw it quickly, when Myrarick took a pass and went 80 yards for a touchdown in a scrimmage against a Coatesville team boasting Division I defensive backs.
“I always knew he was going to be special, but then he broke his collarbone,” said Gro. “He lost a year of statistics. I was telling people about him, but he didn’t really get on the charts with colleges until this season. Not only did he have around 40 catches and 12 touchdowns, but he wasn’t just a five-yard tight end. We threw it to him down the field.
“We had to figure out how to get him the ball a lot, and I would have liked to have gotten him the ball more.”
Additionally, he was a clear-cut role model, as the time on the sidelines as a junior helped cultivate the leader within.
“I try to keep everyone calm in the huddle,” said Myarick. “I’d rather be leading by example, by doing.”
That is fine with Gro, who saw the respect that Myrarick earned and commanded from his teammates.
“He wasn’t a yeller or a screamer,” said Gro. “He just worked hard every day. He gave his best effort, no matter what.
“I would rather have a kid like that than one who gives you lip service.”
Myarick went on to have a stellar senior season, catching passes from close friend and quarterback Mark Heimann, but the lost time was coming back to haunt him in recruiting.
Aside from the normal PSAC schools, which he wasn’t dismissing offhand, the only Division I interest was from opposite corners of the state, at Pitt and Temple.
After careful consideration, including an evaluation of how stocked the cupboards were at tight end, he decided to keep it close to home and maintain a family tradition.
“It came down to Pitt and Temple,” he said. “I visited both, but I chose Temple because I definitely felt more comfortable there. I liked the city better, and I think it’s a better opportunity there. There are not nearly as many tight ends on the roster. I think I might be the only one they recruited.
“Plus, my mom went to Temple.”
Although the Owls are coming off a two-win season in what was Matt Rhule’s first year as head coach, the offense has sophomore quarterback P.J. Walker and some exciting receivers to build around.
“It’s going to be exciting to see them rise back up,” said Myarick, who is undecided on his major and will get his first shot at making an immediate impression this summer. “The coaches seemed to really want me. They came to the school a lot, and just showed a lot of interest. They even came to one of my basketball practices, I guess to see my athleticism.
“It feels good to reach the Division I level. My goal is to get on the field this year.”
Court in Session
Future NFL Hall of Famers Tony Gonzalez and Antonio Gates started a trend, one carried on by the likes of current Denver tight end Julius Thomas, of basketball power forwards being converted into football-first tight ends.
Aside from the big names, there is rarely a pro team that doesn’t have a tight end with a basketball background at the power forward position at least getting a look in training camp.
“It goes hand in hand,” said Gro, who was also a tight end who “loved” basketball. “A forward in basketball is the same as a tight end in football. You have to be athletic, but you also have to be tough and physical. You are not a wideout and not a defensive lineman.”
Even though many colleges run spread offenses and have four receivers, in lieu of a tight end, many deploy a variety of packages and seek an athletic guy with size who can get down the field and also block.
Growing up, Myarick considered it a “tie” between football and basketball as his favorite sport to play, but soon realized by ninth grade that football would come first.
However, that didn’t mean basketball came last. He was a starter and key contributor for coach John Timms’ squad this season, with his primary tasks being to rebound and play defense and “protect the paint” with his body.
“Tight end is definitely similar to the power forward position,” said Myarick. “Blocking out and rebounding go hand in hand.”
His relentless effort on the court was not lost on Timms, a first-year coach.
“Coaching Chris this year was a pleasure,” said Timms. “Chris added an intimidating presence - his size and intensity controlled the boards. He's more of a gentle giant off the court and a big beast on the court. He's a very smart player who plays with a lot of pride. Chris will dive on the floor, take a charge, take a hard foul. Whatever is asked of him, he'll do.
“With basketball being his second sport, I only get to coach Chris for a portion of the season. A kid with this much athletic talent should play two sports in high school. I was just grateful to be in the presence of such a great athlete and even better kid.”
While he gave it all he had on the hardwood, the gridiron is home for Myraick.
“In ninth grade, I realized that I had better talent for football and also more of a love for the game,” he said. “It’s more of a team sport, more of a family.
“Everybody works together.”
Volley No Folly
Where volleyball fits in the whole basketball-football mix is unclear, but Myarick took up the sport as a junior as more of a fun outlet but it didn’t take long before his competitive spirit took over.
“I started off last year just doing it with some of my buddies” said Myarick, who still finds time to maintain a solid 3.1 grade-point average while playing three sports. “I wasn’t taking it seriously at first, but I really started to like it and realized I had a chance to be good at it.”
Myarick plays middle hitter, meaning he is one of the guys who spikes the ball. He has also emerged as a leader by example in what he describes as a “unique situation” where the coach doesn’t like to be called “coach” by the players.
“Having only graduated from Cheltenham three years ago (2011), I was a little concerned about how the team, especially the seniors, would react to having such a young coach,” said coach Geoff Harris. “We have a wide variety of personalities this year and although he is not the most outspoken, I believe that Chris makes one of the biggest impacts. He is very eager to learn and always competes at the highest level possible. He has already proved through the first half of the season that he is a dominant force on the court, and this being only his second year playing, I can only imagine what kind of player he would be if he started as a freshman. Being one of several seniors, he helps lead the team on and off the court, which as a coach, makes my job a lot easier.”
Coming Soon: A “Freak” Show
A three-sport athlete, there has not been much time for Myarick to hit the weights like football-only players.
When he gets to North Broad Street, all of that is going to change.
“Most of my lifting comes in the summer,” said Myarick. “Even then, just from that, I can see improvement. Doing it year-round will definitely help.”
For Gro, it’s an exciting thought.
“He’s going to be a freak,” predicted Gro. “If you’re a Temple fan, you’re going to be happy with Chris. In my opinion, he is a high-level Division-I kid. He’s going to exceed expectations at Temple. He’s a really good football player.
“He never had time to put in to weight training -- except for here and there, between seasons -- and he was as strong as the strongest kids.”
True Values
According to Gro, only one aspect of Myarick outshines his athletic ability, and that is his character.
“That just about hits it on the head,” said the longtime coach. “He is not only a good athlete, but just a real good kid. He is just a wonderful boy. Everything about him is incredible.
“He is the most unassuming kid. But when it came to playing, he was always the most dominant kid.”
For Gro, who has seen his share of standout players come and go, he says it is Myarick’s humility that stands out.
“I have been around a lot of talented kids,” the Panthers’ coach said. “The way he handles it, at that age, is amazing.
“As a tight end, his statistics are off the chart. He is also an excellent defensive end. He never once displayed any type of arrogance, ever. He is the most humble kid I have ever been around. It’s a rarity, to be honest.
“If I were to talk about him, it would be about how he handled his performance this year. A lot of high-level kids, they keep to themselves. They hold themselves as being more elite. With him, I would notice that he hung with the sophomores as much as the seniors. He never put himself above anyone. That wasn’t him.”
Ask Myarick, and he quickly credits the values he received at home.
“I got that from my parents,” said Myarick. “It was not just me, though, but a lot of my friends on the team; like the quarterback, who is one of my best friends. We understand that being that way is the best way to act, instead of acting like ‘I’m the star.’ I was raised to be the type of kid that I am. I always wanted to make my parents proud.”
