Football, Not Boxing, Appeals to Boswell
Young boys grow up idolizing their fathers. They often follow in their footsteps professionally and share similar interests.
As much as Cedric Boswell loves his dad, he never considered his occupation. Cedric Boswell Sr. has boxed professionally and successfully since 1994.
"It’s great having a professional boxer for a dad," young Cedric said. "Everyone finds it very interesting to hear about my dad and I am very eager to tell people about him. I’ve actually never boxed before and I’m sticking with football. I love it. I’ve just never been to interested in boxing, to be honest."
Cedric Jr. has carved out a significant space for himself in his sport of choice. The Beverly Hills (MI) Groves High star accepted a full scholarship from Iowa earlier this week. He also reported opportunities from Ball State, Bowling Green, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Kent State, Miami (Ohio), Toledo and Western Michigan.
"The football building really stood out to me. It’s brand new and it’s very beautiful. The coaches there made me feel like I was home and the defensive coordinator (Phil Parker) really seemed like he would be able to help me get to be the best player I can be even though I’m transitioning from my main position," Boswell said.
Boswell has made his mark so far running the football. Working out of the I-Formational, the 5-foot-11, 175-pound speedster rushed for more than 1,300 yards and 15 touchdowns as a junior.
"I think he’s the fastest player I’ve ever had," said Groves Head Coach Brendan Flaherty, who has coached for 25 years. "He’s an exceptionally gifted football player. As I told Coach Parker, I think he’s really raw on defense. I think he can be phenomenal once he concentrates on doing that the whole time."
Boswell finished second at the state track meet running the 100 meters in 10.72 seconds. It was reported that he logged a 4.36, 40-yard dash at the Michigan State camp this summer.
"When I say his best football is ahead of him as a D-Back, he’s still our best guy," Flaherty said. "As soon as he catches his breath (from running the ball offensively) and gets a drink of water, he’s back in the game.
"So, he’s plenty good. He’s just a smooth athlete. He’s a very coachable kid. It’s easy to project him because of his athletic ability and his speed. He’s a smart kid, too. I think all of those things factor into it."
Parker agrees with Flaherty’s assessment.
"He said he really liked my speed and my size and he said he feels that he can coach me up to be something great. Our relationship is pretty good and still developing," Boswell said.
Flaherty said Boswell also returns punts and kicks for him.
"He’s not the guy that’s going to stand up on a table and beat his chest," the coach said. "He’s not an in-your-face type of kid. He’s got a quiet demeanor. He leads by example. He does his job and busts his tail. He’s a great teammate."
Boswell said he’s undecided on a college major. He hopes to get a better feel for the academic side of things at Iowa when he visits the school again, which could be at the end of the month.
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