Gators’ McKelvie selected to attend national combine

Demetrius McKelvie

By DAN BISER
Sports Editor

Demetrius McKelvie, a standout two-sport athlete at East Columbus High School, recently received one of the highest honors that can be bestowed a high-school underclassman football player

McKelvie, a two-year starter at safety for the ECHS football squad, is one of about 300 players from across the nation chosen to participate in the U.S. Army High School Football Combine, Jan. 3-5 in San Antonio, Texas.

The combine will be held in conjunction with the U.S. Army All-American Game on Jan. 5. The game, set for the Alamo Dome, will feature the nation’s top senior players and will be broadcast live on ESPN.

McKelvie is the second athlete from Columbus County in five years to be selected to participate in the San Antonio combine. In 2003, South Columbus High’s Bryan Dixon took part in the combine, and Dixon went on to sign with the UNC Tar Heels the following year. Dixon remains a member of the Tar Heel squad following a medical red-shirt season this past fall.

McKelvie and ECHS head coach Travis Conner will fly to San Antonio on Jan. 2, and he will begin participation in the combine on the following day.

McKelvie will be in a group of approximately 15 free safeties, and these athletes will work together on various skills. There will also be such skill tests as the 40-yard dash and vertical leap.

Conner said that McKelvie was selected for his size (6-foot-4, 210 pounds) and all-around athleticism. He also excels in the classroom.

“He’s the type athlete who makes an impact,” Conner said. “He has a lot of size, range and quickness.”

McKelvie has also been a regular on the Gator baseball team since his freshman season as an outfielder. This past spring, he helped lead the Gators to the third round of the state 1A playoffs, where they dropped a 10-inning heart-breaker to the eventual state champion Princeton Bulldogs.