People often ask Willie Cauley why he’s doing it.
Many wonder why one of the nation’s most prized basketball recruits would risk injury on the football field. You see, Olathe Northwest’s Cauley stands almost 7 feet tall and has already verbally committed to play basketball for the University of Kentucky. Analysts say that in a couple of years he could be in the NBA.
But Cauley’s reasoning for strapping on the helmet every Friday is simple.
“It’s just a love for it,” he said. “I started playing football and baseball before I ever started playing basketball. There’s just something about football. I just have a love for it. I can’t even explain.”
Cauley’s love for the game also has led to success. He’s one of the state’s leading receivers with 57 catches for 1,140 yards and 14 TDs and has helped his Olathe Northwest Ravens reach the first round of the Class 6A playoffs. Olathe Northwest hosts league rival Olathe East on Friday night.
“It’s a big rivalry game,” Cauley said. “Everyone is pumped up.”
Yes, he even talks like a football player.
Olathe Northwest coach Todd Dain says he has a football mentality.
“Willie is a tremendous football player,” Dain said. “He’s been playing football since the third grade. It wasn’t until he was 14 years old and he grew to 6-6 that he started playing basketball.”
Cauley attended Spearville High School his freshman and sophomore years and played quarterback early on before the coach decided to move him to receiver to lessen his chance of injury.
Before his junior year, he moved in with former Kansas City Chiefs All-Pro Will Shields’ family after becoming friends with Will’s son Shavon at a summer basketball program. Doing so, he transferred to Olathe Northwest, where Shavon also is a senior.
Cauley couldn’t play in football games as a junior, but he did practice with the team. In basketball, his height and success continued to grow. Cauley earned third-team All-6A honors in his first season at Olathe Northwest.
Rivals.com considers Cauley the 39th-best recruit in the nation and the No. 6 center. In addition to Kentucky, he was heavily recruited by Kansas State, Florida and Alabama.
But in the fall, Cauley has made it clear that football comes first.
Many basketball coaches, including Kentucky’s John Calipari, have attended Ravens football games this year. They have noticed Cauley’s aggressiveness.
“He’s a big hitter,” Dain said. “John Calipari was on the sideline last week, and he started jumping up and down screaming when he saw Willie make a big hit.”
Dain also said Cauley demonstrates spin moves and quickness that you don’t expect from a player of his size.
He also provides quarterback Dalton Rook a big target and helps open up different parts of the Ravens’ offense.
“A lot of times, he’ll get double and triple coverage,” Dain said. “If they focus on him too much, it helps us in the run game.”
As much success as Olathe Northwest has had in the passing game, running the football has been the team’s bread and butter. Running back Connor Middleton has rushed for 1,207 yards and 19 TDs on 187 carries. Middleton ran for a school-record 339 yards and six TDs in last week’s 56-28 win against Olathe North. He also hit Cauley on a 57-yard halfback pass for a touchdown.
And as good as Olathe Northwest’s offense has been, Dain said the Ravens’ defense, which will include Cauley at cornerback, will need to play big against an Olathe East team that beat them earlier in the season.
“Our defense has really grown up through the season,” Dain said. “We really struggled defensively with a lot of things early in the season. But for the last four or five weeks, the defense has really been in a groove.”
The Ravens also hope to have an advantage on special teams, where Cauley plays a big role. His height has allowed him to block a couple extra points this season, and he forces opponents to double team him on punts because of the threat of a pass on a fake.
No matter how he’s needed, Cauley said he’s ready to do whatever he can to keep the Ravens’ football season alive.
“It’s tough to think that this could be my last football game with this team,” Cauley said. “It’s tough to think that this could be my last football game ever.”
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