Alexander High School football player Collin Z Giesey attended the Nike SPARQ Combine, which was recently held at Lakewood Stadium in Atlanta.

Giesey, a junior, competed with 1,730 other high school students, and performed well. He was named to the All-Combine team and was honored as a Nike SPARQ Standout.

The 6-foot-3, 261-pound Cougar defensive end had the farthest Power Ball toss (42-feet) at Lakewood and and the top overall SPARQ Rating among linemen (91.38).

“I don’t know if I can do him justice by just saying how hard he works both in the class room and on the field,” said AHS coach Matt Combs. “I have not seen the kind of dedication he puts in before. He works out seven days a week whether it is on the field or in the weight room. He is a class act and a leader... a good role model... and a humble young man.”

Giesey was a starter on the Alexander football team his sophomore season in 2011 and was named to the Douglas County Sentinel All-County Team as an Honorable Mention. Giesey entered the combine as a “virtual unknown” according to ESPN after missing the first half of the 2012 season due to a foot injury that would not heal.

Despite playing in only the last four games, Giesey finished with eight solo tackles, 14 total tackles, and three sacks. He was named to the DCS All-County Second Team.

The AHS standout puts the student in student-athlete, performing just as well off the field. He is a Member of the National Honor Society and is a Superintendent Scholar.

He is currently competing with the Cougar track team in the shot put event.

The Nike SPARQ Combine, held on March 2, had the largest turnout in history despite the chilly weather according to ESPN. Giesey was one of 25 athletes named to the All-Combine team.

All-Combine selections were based upon combine performance as well as past and projected on-field performance. Only nine other athletes had a higher SPARQ rating than Giesey, who will now set his sights on his senior season.

“I am looking forward to his senior year,” Combs said. “He is a machine with an engine that does not stop. He has true passion for the game. He plays both ways and I don’t expect him to come off the field next year.”