McClellan Inspires Eagles and Says Pokes, Huskers, and Gophers Love Him
TAHLEQUAH — It has to get frustrating play after play, snap after snap to see everything flow away from your direction and usually outside where all you can really do is chase and pursue. Welcome to Chris McClellan’s world. The 6-4, 260-pound defensive end for Tulsa Edison gets that kind of treatment from opposing offenses all the time. Speaking later with Tahlequah coaches they admitted they were looking to minimize McClellan’s presence.
However, Edison started moving the big but cat quick McClellan around. That helped as did his desire in making some plays. His attitude helped as Edison down at halftime 21-0 came back in the second half and had the ball at the end of the game but lost 34-29 after a furious rally.
“Like I was saying all week, if we lost we were done, but we came back and we fought hard,” McClellan said. “This was for the seniors and we fought to the end, down to the last second.”
McClellan was a huge part of the comeback, both from a physical standpoint and a leadership one as well. McClellan is the kind of player that when he makes plays it spreads, the excitement and intensity to other players and it did in this first round playoff game.
“We had a lot of sophomores and a lot of freshmen, so at the start it was hard but we got better everyday,” McClellan explained. “We come out and we get one percent better everyday. I feel like me and my team progressed, we all got better this year.”
Now the work continues and the Edison staff, which McClellan has stayed loyal to when many TPS talented players find their way onto rosters outside Tulsa Public Schools. McClellan is loyal to head coach and defensive coordinator Tony Daniels and former Oklahoma State defensive lineman Chris Littlehead, who has been working one-on-one with McClellan since January. He said he will work with him more during and after McClellan competes in wrestling season.
“I can really see us getting better next year,” McClellan added. “There’s a lot of young guys and we had 27 seniors last season so not many (of these) guys playing, so once we get our offense and our speed D playing and you saw us tonight. Games like this will prepare us for next season.
“Even with a tough loss like this you can’t stay down and you have to pick yourself up,” he said "You keep coming back and make yourself better. That’s what it takes to be the best in the nation and I want to be the best in the nation. I am all about that.”
Now, as for recruiting. McClellan has seen his attention go up to the point that he has 10 scholarship offers including Oklahoma State, Indiana, Iowa State, Kansas State, memphis, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, Oregon State, and SMU.
“Yes sir, my recruitment has definitely picked up this year with me leading the team in sacks and coming out here and working and performing,” McClellan said of schools showing interest. “Definitely OSU and Nebraska have shown me a lot of love. Minnesota has shown me a lot of love. Those three are definitely on top.”
Good news because McClellan has one more season to play and I think it was best to get in the ground floor on recruiting this young man who may climb to being one of the very best in the state in the class of 2022. he sure looked like it in Tahlequah on a November Friday.