Hard hitting DB emerging

Having a defensive back who can hit with evil intent is a good thing if that particular safety plays for your team. Todd Doxey (6-2, 175, 4.5) from San Diego (Calif.) Hoover brings a hammer with him when he shows up to the ball and because of this skill he could end up being one of the most sought after safety prospects from Southern California for the class of 2007.

Doxey earned League Defensive Player of the Year as a junior and this is no small feat when you consider Miami Hurricane bound defensive end Josh Holmes toiled in the same league. His other honors included first-team San Diego Section all-CIF and all-state underclassman.

On the defensive side of the ball, Doxey hit 97 tackles, five picks, four forced fumbles, and four fumble recoveries. One of his picks he returned for a score and he did the same thing with a fumble recovery.

On offense, he accounted for 36 receptions, 740 yards and three touchdowns while averaging 20.5 yards per catch. He had nine receiving touchdowns as a sophomore.

The talented two-way standout has been a varsity starter on both sides of the ball since his sophomore year.

"Todd is a leader without self-promotion," Hoover coach Michael Wright said. "He was already being followed by the juniors and seniors when he was a sophomore; they wanted to be like him. Todd has a demanding presence when he steps onto the field."

"What makes Todd unique is that he can cover as well as hit," Wright said. "He has the range and capabilities to cover and can also come up in run support and knock you into next week."

"Todd is a very good tackler and has that football sense of causing turnovers," Wright said. "He can scoop it up and score, strip the ball and make interceptions."

"Todd is very likable and respected by his teammates," Wright said. "He's really a friendly guy off the field and a monster on it."

All three D-I Southern California schools, UCLA, USC and San Diego State are showing interest in Doxey. He was invited to San Diego State's junior day a couple of weeks ago and he's invited to UCLA's junior day this weekend.

USC has also intensified their interest in Doxey.

Boston College, Nebraska and Washington State are also showing Doxey recruiting interest.