CHS FOOTBALL: Cats' CB perseveres

Wearing a gray shirt with green lettering and loose fitting jeans, Clovis senior cornerback Kolt Merren occasionally glances around the locker room as players shuffle inside.

The journey to win a starting job with the third-ranked Wildcats (4-2) has been a long one, filled with one pothole after another.

Merren moved from Midland, Texas, to Clovis the summer before his freshman year of high school.

However, he suffered three concussions in four months, he said, which led to treatment by an Amarillo neurologist.

“I remember he told me Ray Lewis went to see him,” Merren said of his doctor. “That definitely made me want to see him more.”

While he was being treated, Merren’s grades began to slip, which he directly attributes to the concussions.

He was academically ineligible his junior year.

“In 10th grade I had a little problem with math and biology, and I failed those,” Merren said. “It's getting a lot better, like right now I have all A's.”

He’s also overcome the emotional jolt of losing his father to a heart attack when Merren was 7.

Through all the obstacles, Merren has emerged as a leader on the Clovis defense. After six games, he has recorded 21 tackles, good for fourth on the team.

Merren, who has played football since the fourth grade and is learning how to play the guitar, said his favorite NFL player is John Lynch, the Denver Broncos’ hard-hitting free safety.

“I like to hit,” said the 5-foot-11, 170-pound Merren. “It's my favorite part of the game.”

Merren said his biggest problem this year has been mental mistakes.

Yet, whatever flaws Merren might see in his play, Clovis assistant coach Darren Kelly credited Merren for his intense work ethic and the energy he brings to the team.

“The thing you like about Kolt is he's going to go hard and at full speed. Sometimes you hope it's in the right direction,” Kelley said. “He had some catching up to do since he didn’t play his junior year. He’s worked his tail off to get where he is.”

Merren said he hopes to play college football and is interested in West Texas A&M. If football doesn’t work out, he’s also applied to Texas Tech.