South Oak Cliff head coach Clifton Todd has coached a lot of athletes who have gone on to play division one football so he certainly knows what it looks like. Rickey Giles definitely fits that mold.
Giles, 6-foot-0, 175-pounds, has been in the program since his freshman season but didn’t have much of a background in football until he got in high school as he was focused on basketball.
But as a sophomore Giles broke into a role as a contributor and on special teams before becoming a starter last season and coming into his own at the safety position.
“He became a leader. You saw the things that the position coaches were trying to get him to understand when he was younger. But he was actually able to put it to work this year,” he said. “He’s a guy that’s gotten better every year and the sky is the limit for the kid.”
Because of Giles’ natural athleticism, Todd felt that he had the potential to play at the highest level as he continued to get his feet wet and learn the game of football. The switch flipped during that junior campaign where he was communicating and understood not only his assignments but others.
A great tackler, Giles can effectively come down in the box and fit the run while also displaying a great understanding of zone coverage and different concepts.
“He’s a general back there. He’a the guy communicating and getting the calls from the left corner all the way to the right corner. He’s taken on a big role in our defense,” he said.
Off the field Giles is more laid back than the physical presence on it but he has commanded the respect of his teammates with the work that he has put in over the years. Also a standout student, Giles is set to graduate in December and carries a high grade-point average.
“He is the perfect example of what a student athlete looks like,” he said.
Because he’s still learning the game Todd believes that there is a lot more untapped potential in what Giles could become at the college level.
“He has all those intangibles in him. The more he’s around it and the more he continues to develop and grow, the sky is the limit for him,” he said.
West Virginia was a program that Giles and his family felt fit him best not only because of his official visit to campus but his fit in the defense.
“Some of the things West Virginia does in the secondary are the same things we do and it looked like an easy transition,” Todd said. “Location wasn't a big thing for him. He can adapt to any environment.”
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