At 5-foot-10, 175 kilos, Cam’Ron Silmon-Craig is aware of he isn’t the best measurement to play security in faculty soccer.
He’s by no means let that get in his method, although.
“I’ve at all times been the smallest man, so it is nothing new,” mentioned Silmon-Craig, who’s transferring to the Colorado Buffaloes this month after two seasons at Jackson State. “I used to be a small man within the SWAC.”
Small or not, Silmon-Craig has at all times performed nicely sufficient to be wished by new CU head coach Deion Sanders.
Silmon-Craig is one in every of 21 scholarship transfers dedicated to CU this winter, together with seven which have adopted Sanders from Jackson State.
For Silmon-Craig, the connection with Sanders goes again a number of years.
A local of Birmingham, Ala., Silmon-Craig moved away from house as a highschool junior to play at Trinity Christian High School within the Dallas/Fort Worth space. Sanders was one of many coaches at Trinity Christian, together with Kevin Mathis and Andre’ Hart, who at the moment are on CU’s teaching employees.
When he graduated from Trinity Christian in 2021, Sanders was already the top coach at Jackson State, with Hart and Mathis additionally on the JSU employees. Silmon-Craig did not have any Power 5 gives, however Sanders wished him at JSU.
“(Going to JSU) was going for what I do know, going for what I really feel,” he mentioned. “Coach Prime was at Jackson already doing quite a lot of massive issues and I already really feel snug with coach Mathis and coach Hart. I went again to my household and … they simply felt like that was the neatest determination for us ultimately.”
After two seasons at JSU, Silmon-Craig mentioned there was no query he wished to stick with Sanders and switch to CU.
“His employees took an opportunity on taking a child when lots of people did not take an opportunity on me,” he mentioned. “So I really feel like that is type of a method of me paying them again for all they did for me. Wherever they had been going, I used to be going to go for what I do know.”
Despite being a smaller security, Silmon-Craig was a two-year starter at JSU, recording 113 tackles, 10 TFLs, 4.0 sacks, 5 interceptions and 5 cross breakups. This season, he was named an HBCU All-American and first-team All-SWAC.
“I went out each sport and gave it my all and did what I had to do and we made quite a lot of good issues occur,” he mentioned. “We had quite a lot of wins. I do know I could be higher, however I’m happy with what we did at Jackson.”
He mentioned he is aware of he can compete within the Pac-12 due to the truth that Sanders wished him at CU.
“He would not usher in a man that was short-changed and wasn’t up to his customary,” Silmon-Craig mentioned. “I hear quite a lot of issues in regards to the Pac-12: they’re quicker, the road is just a little larger. I really feel like I’m already there mentally. I simply know I gotta get there bodily to have the option to do what I gotta do.”
What Silmon-Craig lacks in measurement, he makes up for with physicality.
“That’s my bread and butter,” he mentioned. “When I used to be rising up, arising in little league, I might play with the age group above me and I used to be enjoying center linebacker. So, I used to be the smallest man on the sphere, however I used to be enjoying center linebacker. It was loopy.”
After making an impression on Sanders in highschool and at Jackson State, he is now keen to make an impression at CU. He’s spent his total life within the South, however Silmon-Craig is prepared to expertise one thing new whereas having the familiarity of being coached by Sanders once more.
“My household loves Coach Prime and loves every thing he stands for,” Silmon-Craig mentioned. “They love every thing he brings. They love the usual and the old-fashioned mentality he lives by and I find it irresistible.”