Beginner’s luck took a new meaning for Presbyterian Christian School linebacker Cameron Shaw.
However, Shaw’s success at linebacker was anything but luck in his first time ever playing the position. According to PCS coach Derek White, moving to Shaw to linebacker was a natural fit and was also the best position for Shaw to get recruited by colleges.
“I felt like Cam going to linebacker was going to open up more doors,” White said. “You go look at the NFL and college football, everybody is trying to look for a guy on defense that could be a safety-linebacker and the way he runs is unbelievable.
“Cam came to us very talented but very raw and still has a lot of development to do. He had a great year, and he is going to have a lot of opportunities to play college football. His best days of playing are ahead of him for sure.”
In his first season ever playing the position, Shaw recorded 101 tackles and is the top Bobcat tackler returning for the 2019 season.
“It was a good (season), but I feel like I could have done a lot better just with techniques and using my hands and effort,” Shaw said. “I feel like there is a high expectation for myself. I think I can get way more tackles than last year but also get my guys involved too.”
Shaw had four games with double-digit tackles with his season-high being 17 tackles against Oak Forest Academy. According to PCS coach Derek White, despite Shaw’s success, it’s still a position he is learning.
“He had never played the position before, so we are still learning,” White said. “Let’s be honest though if you have a guy that is 6-foot-2-inches and 228 pounds that runs a 4.4 40-yard dash, then he is pretty special anyhow.
“His big need is to understand the defense better. He relied on Jake Sumrall a lot last year to run the defense. He has to understand the defense, and whenever you understand the defense, you become a better player because you know what everybody else is going to do. It’s time for him to do that.”
In the offseason, Shaw has concentrated on becoming a leader and being an example for his defenses but has also placed heavy emphasis on learning pass defenses.
“The games that we executed, we did almost everything perfect, but those little things matter,” Shaw said. “This year, I think we are picking up on the little things better and have a better defense this year than we did last year. As little as picking up trash, if I pick up trash, then everybody else will start doing it. Now, it’ll take them a little bit to catch on, but they’ll start picking up trash. It could also just be running to a different workout station instead of walking.
For Shaw, being more consistent on defense is crucial since PCS allowed an average of 28 points per game last year.
“My expectation will be coving the pass in the middle,” Shaw said. “We have the run set down pretty good, but we need to know how to fill our gaps. It’s not mostly about concentrating on passing plays. Teams like Jackson Prep and Madison Ridgeland Academy pass a lot, and we didn’t do that well against them.”
White will also be playing on offense and serve as the backup running back for the team, which is also a new position for Shaw.
“I used to play tight end, so I’m used to being on offense but not running the ball as much,” Shaw said. “It’s a lot on my body, but I know they are depending on me and that just fuels the fire. Me knowing that somebody is depending on me, then I have to give it all I’ve got for every single game.”
Last season, Shaw saw limited time on offense, but the few times he touched the ball had results that were hard to ignore. Shaw had 11 carries last season and totaled 77 yards and one catch that was a 35-yard touchdown reception.
“We are trying to not have anybody play both ways,” White said. “We’ll have a few packages for him on offense. He’s a backup. We have some tight end stuff for him. We have him play some safety and outside linebacker, but he will carry the football for us this year. He carried it three or four times last year and caught it once for a touchdown, so he needs to have the ball in his hands.”
White admits that he will have a lot of responsibility for Shaw this upcoming season but hopes that it will gain more attention from Division I schools. As of now, Shaw holds offers Pearl River Community College, Copiah-Lincoln Community College and Troy.
“I need Cam to step up from where he was last year,” White said. “It has taken time and we’re not quite there, but he knows that. His potential is going to go through the roof, and I think his best days are by far ahead of him.”
