2008 Woodie Awards
Anoka finds niche on hardwood, soft field for Skyhawks
Brad Hurt
Issue date: 1/23/07 Section: Sports
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After helping to lead the Skyhawk football team to a share of a conference championship and a playoff appearance, Dexter Anoka is taking his game from the gridiron to the hardwood.
Anoka and football teammate Bryant Craig have found spots on the men's basketball team as walk-ons for the current season.
Craig, a 6-foot-1, 175-pound freshman guard from Memphis is also making the switch from football for the basketball season.
As a prep star at Craigmont High School in Memphis, Craig played football and basketball and ran track. He earned Best of the Preps honors from the Memphis Commercial Appeal as a senior and was a member of the Chiefs' state champion 4 X 100 relay team.
The 5-foot-10, 165-pound Anoka, who passed for 422 yards and rushed for an additional 188 yards this season for the Skyhawk football team, now finds himself calling plays of a different kind as a point guard.
The transition theoretically is a smooth one, considering that the quarterback and point guard are both seen as the leaders of the offense.
"The adjustment that I had to make was the speed of the game," says Anoka.
"Physically it is the same. You just have to prepare your body."
Anoka appears to be making the adjustment without a hitch as he is among the team leaders in 3-point shooting at nearly 36 percent.
The Atlanta native is averaging 1.6 points in 8.2 minutes per game this season.
Besides football and basketball, Anoka also starred for the track team at Atlanta's Banneker High School, earning several individual honors in the process. On the court, he earned all-conference honors as a guard.
Now that he has reached college, Anoka is happy to have the opportunity to participate in both basketball and football.
"I think it is a blessing to be able to play two sports on a college level and I love them both," he says.
"I am just happy that the coaches have given me an opportunity to do both."
Once his high school days came to an end, Anoka faced the task of deciding where he would attend college and continue his athletic career.
Anoka and football teammate Bryant Craig have found spots on the men's basketball team as walk-ons for the current season.
Craig, a 6-foot-1, 175-pound freshman guard from Memphis is also making the switch from football for the basketball season.
As a prep star at Craigmont High School in Memphis, Craig played football and basketball and ran track. He earned Best of the Preps honors from the Memphis Commercial Appeal as a senior and was a member of the Chiefs' state champion 4 X 100 relay team.
The 5-foot-10, 165-pound Anoka, who passed for 422 yards and rushed for an additional 188 yards this season for the Skyhawk football team, now finds himself calling plays of a different kind as a point guard.
The transition theoretically is a smooth one, considering that the quarterback and point guard are both seen as the leaders of the offense.
"The adjustment that I had to make was the speed of the game," says Anoka.
"Physically it is the same. You just have to prepare your body."
Anoka appears to be making the adjustment without a hitch as he is among the team leaders in 3-point shooting at nearly 36 percent.
The Atlanta native is averaging 1.6 points in 8.2 minutes per game this season.
Besides football and basketball, Anoka also starred for the track team at Atlanta's Banneker High School, earning several individual honors in the process. On the court, he earned all-conference honors as a guard.
Now that he has reached college, Anoka is happy to have the opportunity to participate in both basketball and football.
"I think it is a blessing to be able to play two sports on a college level and I love them both," he says.
"I am just happy that the coaches have given me an opportunity to do both."
Once his high school days came to an end, Anoka faced the task of deciding where he would attend college and continue his athletic career.
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