Althoff offensive lineman Jordyn Slaughter made a huge first impression on football coach Ken Turner.
Really huge.
"I'll always remember that moment the first time I saw him at freshman registration about how big he was and I was just hoping I could get him to come out and play football," Turner said.
Slaughter wanted to play basketball as a freshman. But Turner was able to convince him that football could be his future too.
"He saw me and was like, 'Well you look like you're going to be good,'" Slaughter said. "He knew who I was from my dad and he asked me to try out for football."
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Turner's prophetic vision of seeing Slaughter bulldoze defenders has come true. Slaughter has anchored the offensive line for the past two seasons and is ready for a big senior campaign.
Slaughter is No. 18 in the Post-Dispatch's Super 30 countdown of the area's top senior high school prospects.
The 6-foot-5, 300-pounder is the prototypical lineman. He can overpower defenders at the point of attack and is also a strong pass protector.
"When coaches look at my film, they say how much they love my pass blocking, that I'm more of a technician," Slaughter said.
Slaughter's basketball skills have paid off on the football field as well.
"He's a basketball player and has been for a long time and that goes hand in hand with his footwork," Turner said. "I believe that helps him out with him coming in and playing offensive line and picking up the foot skills that you have to become a good lineman."
Slaughter spent part of the offseason working with basketball coach Greg Leib on his post moves near the basket. That extra work has helped improve his quickness in both sports.
"I think going into my junior year I had a lot of big schools looking at me," Slaughter said. "Then, I went to some smaller schools like McKendree University and Eastern Illinois and they talked about how they'd offer me, but I was too big of a prospect for them."
They were right.Ìý
After mulling over numerous offers, Slaughter has given a verbal commitment to the University of Illinois.
"He really enjoyed the visit and the coaching staff and it felt like home," Turner said. "He made that decision that that's where he wanted to go to school. He liked it, his parents liked it."
Slaughter has a lot of fond football memories including Althoff's 46-42 win over five-time defending state Rochester in the Class 4A quarterfinals two years ago.
But he especially enjoys the relaxation the game provides.
"It's just a worry-free sport where you don't have to worry about anything," Slaughter said. "You can just go out there and enjoy playing."