The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Brush QB commits to Mount Union — again
A.J. Shorts told former Mount Union coach Larry Kehres he’d commit to the Purple Raiders when he was four. That aspiration has become a reality, as Shorts follows his brother Cecil’s path to the D-III power.
A.J. Shorts is a man of his word.
A senior quarterback from Brush, Shorts recently informed Mount Union coach Geoff Dartt he was committing to play college football for the Purple Raiders.
In all truth, that decision was made more than a decade ago when Shorts’ big brother, Cecil, was an All-American receiver for Coach Larry Kehres’ Purple Raiders.
“I committed to L.K. when was 4,” Shorts said. “We were all in his office one day and I committed to him. I told him ‘I’m going to be a Purple Raider someday.’ “
That day has come. Shorts is coming off an injury-plagued senior season that was limited to only a few games because of a knee injury. But he has every intention of being in camp this fall in Alliance ready to practice.
Just like he promised Kehres, the legendary coach who retired in 2012.
“I do recall him always being there with his dad and Cecil,” Kehres told The News-Herald. “When a little brother or little sister comes along, I always made sure to talk to them, too, and tell them I’m recruiting them, too. That’s a wonderful family.”
Shorts admitted his allegiances could have been tugged had he received a college football scholarship offer. But the injury to his knee, which he admitted might need surgery, limited his scholarship offers.
He knew what that meant. He was heading to Mount Union.
“I grew up around there,” he said of the years watching Cecil become an AllAmerican at Mount. “I grew up hearing ‘Touchdown Cecil Shorts,’ and ‘Touchdown Nate Kmic.’ That’s home to me.
“The offense is right for me. Education is important, too. My goal is to get my degree in education.”
At the top of his game, Shorts is an electric dualthreat quarterback. As a junior the 6-foot-2, 210-pounder threw for 1,388 yards and was also among the team’s leading rushers.
He led Brush to a 2-0 start this past fall before bowing out with a knee injury.
“It was heartbreaking,” he said of the injury. “Brush is my home. It was my dream to play there and lead them. Starting 2-0 and then seeing it go away was painful. But everything happens for a reason.”
Kehres said he is pulling for Shorts to have a successful career at Mount, even though he’s retired and won’t be coaching him.
“This little guy grew up watching his big brother be the ultimate in success,” Kehres said. “Cecil played at Mount Union and then in the NFL. He saw all that.
“He’s had great role models in his family. His father is a coach, and if I remember right, his grandpa was a boxer. That layered effect of role models is important. A great family with great work ethic that wants to be successful.”