San Diego star wants to be a QB

Let's get one thing straight: San Diego, Calif., athlete Chris Ball wants to be a quarterback in college.

Even though he's still new to the position and is build like a hard-hitting linebacker, he's got his eyes on being a leader under center in college.

"That's something Dino Babers at UCLA asked me about when we talked," Ball, who is 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds, said. "He asked me if he was to offer me as an outside linebacker and then say Sacramento State would were to offer me as a quarterback, what would I do? I told him that I would choose Sac State.

"I just want to go to college as a quarterback. I know I'm talented enough and good enough, and there's just something about being under the center and leading the team."

Ball had to lead under fire last season.

San Diego High was only 1-9 on the season, but it wasn't because of a lack of effort or performance from Ball. He completed 137 of 207 passes for 1,672 yards and 22 scores as a junior, despite having to run for his life almost on every single play. He did miss one game too because of injury so those stats – which include 404 yards rushing – look even more impressive in nine games.

Quarterback is something that he's just learning how to play. He used to be a defensive player and a star baseball player while growing up.

"I played defensive line growing up," Ball said. "I had a bunch of records back in Pop Warner. I had about 10 sacks a game, and then they switched me in high school to linebacker. Defense was my No. 1 thing, but I was throwing the ball in baseball practice and in flag football, and everybody told me I should give quarterback a try.

"One day I tried it and it just clicked. I like to run the sideline and running the game as the captain. I love the responsibility of being a quarterback."

At this point, Ball doesn't have any scholarship offers, but he's talked to coaches from UCLA, Washington, Fresno State, Weber State, Idaho State, Utah, Utah State, Colorado, Oregon and Oregon State. He grew up in New Orleans before he moved to California, so his dream school is LSU.

"I still have a lot of New Orleans in me," he said. "I would love to go back down there and play for LSU, but I'm going to wait and see what happens and what schools step up and offer me."