Dwyer's Gerald Christian may be a highly recruited tight end, but he's a great quarterback - on defense

Thursday, December 17, 2009
by Cristina Ledra

Photos by Allen Eyestone / The Palm Beach Post

Dwyer coach Jack Daniels figures that an injured Gerald Christian is better than no Gerald Christian at all.

That's how good the senior defensive leader is for the Panthers, and why the coach decided to put Christian back in during their state semifinal game against Armwood last week, despite the fact Christian was suffering from a high ankle sprain.

It's a decision Daniels may have to make again Saturday when Dwyer (13-1) plays for the Class 4A state championship against Niceville (14-0) in Orlando. Christian won't miss the game but is still hindered by the sprain.

Regarded as one of the best tight end recruits in the country, the 6-foot-3, 230-pounder (No. 4 on the Big Board) also plays fullback, wide receiver and quarterback—well, at least quarterback of the defense, where he calls plays from his linebacker position.

Christian injured his ankle during the team's regional final win against New Smyrna Beach and wasn't wholly effective in the team's game against Armwood. But after he was removed from the game, Dwyer's defense began making more than a few uncharacteristic blunders, allowing Armwood to score 15 points and close within six points. Daniels then re-inserted Christian and Dwyer shut out their opponent from then on.

"He wasn't really making any plays because he was so limited," Daniels said, "but I thought we had a better chance by getting lined up right than if we didn't."

For the past three years, Christian — who carries a 3.8 grade-point average — has been calling the shots on defense at linebacker and is a rare four-year starter at Dwyer. From the moment he became a Panther, the coaches knew he was something special and they used him any way they could.

"He was already a grown man as a sophomore, even as a freshman," defensive coordinator Bobby Sifrit said. "He's a leader at practice, in school. He's very smart and even keeled. You couldn't have a better candidate to have that responsibility."

He's also been highly recruited, with one recruiting site describing him as having "hands like a peach basket."

He got so annoyed with all the college coaches clamoring for his commitment that he made his decision to go to the University of Florida last spring to get them off his back.

Christian has played football for most of his life and the high ankle sprain he suffered was the first injury he's ever had.

A running back before he got to Dwyer, he was moved to tight end and linebacker as a freshman, impressing coaches from his first start.

Not long after, they entrusted him with running the defense.

"The first couple of times I just got the calls from my coach and repeated it once," he said, "then the linemen wouldn't hear it and everyone was yelling at me."

"Now it's like natural. I like taking that role, telling everybody what they should be doing and making sure they're in the right position."

His parents made sure he kept his grades up and once banned him from football until he got back to getting A's and B's. From then on, he never let his grades slip again. But what you hear again and again about Christian is his vast football knowledge. He plans to major in sports management because he wants to be around sports if he doesn't make the NFL.

"He can play the game without moving like he knows a lot and always knows what the other team is doing," said running back and linebacker Matt Elam, who also committed to Florida. Both enrolled early and will be starting classes in early January.

"He's a freak with all the stuff he knows," Elam said.