No one knew where he came from. No one knew about his childhood. And most people didn't know his name the first few weeks he entered high school. All they knew was that - as soon as he started playing football for the team - they saw something special in him. Standing at 6-foot-3 and weighing in at 318 pounds, this behemoth of a German Shepherd was a leader with the team's defense, with his quick timing and accurate tackles. Anyone that came close to the canine couldn't get two yards past him as he would throw them down swiftly. Quaterbacks, Running Backs, Kick Returners, it didn't matter; it seemed like anyone that moved towards him would get shut down. But again: who was this guy, and where did he come from when no one had seen him before high school? And who is he now?
Kennith Shrader, more commonly known as The Shredder at Cardinal City High School, spent the majority of his childhood at a farm in Highland, Indiana, with his parents and two younger siblings. The constant work around the farm plus the strict diet given to him from his parents equaled the strength and stature of the German Shepherd we know. Kennith's education remained on the farm, too, as the family were home-schooled up to the time he turned sixteen. His exposure into football happened at twelve years of age, when the neighborhood kids started to play pick-up games.
Already standing at 5-foot-9, all the kids wanted Kennith to play offense but the shepherd felt more comfortable on the defensive side - and it showed. Throughout most of the games they played, there was no way the offense could get around him. Passing, running... not even quarterback sneaks got by the canine; it was as if he could sniff out where the ball would be and head right for it. Unfortunately, his strength got him into trouble as well when his tackles dislocated one of the kid's shoulders. That trouble didn't last long when Kennith's father heard about it from the neighbors; some of them even told him to consider taking his son to football camp - which he did.
Football camp is what Kennith needed to develop and hone his skills a little more. With the coaches telling him the right way to tackle and how to position himself for upcoming plays, the canine was merely unstoppable over the next three years. That's when the Cardinal City High School football coach noticed him, approached him, and asked him to play. It took a lot of meetings with the shepherd's parents, who really didn't want him to go - but his desire to play football eventually overturned their decision, and he enrolled at Cardinal City High a week later.
His intelligence showed on and off the field, but the field was where he excelled. In his three years playing varsity football, Kennith broke the school record for tackles, sacks, and forced fumbles. He was noted by many people and the media as 'Shrader - shredding through the offense' - and that's where his nickname 'The Shredder' came from. It also brought attention from agents around the state. Once he graduated high school, the canine went through two years at Acorn University, where he continued to impress the fans with his game, before making the leap into the UFFL Draft in 2014.
Because of his upbringing, Kennith Shrader is quiet and modest in public, yet very curious about the world surrounding him. But trust us - once he puts on his helmet, his focus goes straight to the game, eying out the opponents, and doing his best. Once he graduated from high school, he knew that he wanted to play football for a living. And if major league football doesn't work out, he knows the farm will still be there for him.
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