Faith center Clay Cozby comfortable in role — except for maybe one thing

JENNIFER FIERRO • STAFF WRITER

MARBLE FALLS — Faith Academy of Marble Falls senior center Clay Cozby laughed at the question. But considering he has played center since the seventh grade, it seemed appropriate to ask.

Has he gotten used to the placement of the quarterback’s hands?

“It’s kind of been weird,” Cozby said with a smile. “The quarterbacks and me, we’d make a joke about it. We haven’t had a lot of plays under center. All of us centers know it how feels. But you never really get used to it.”

It helps that his best friend is senior quarterback Rich Coleman. And it also helped that he was friends with the other two quarterbacks, former standouts Austin Ellis and Magnum Burcham.

“It’s definitely a bond,” Cozby said about the quarterback-center relationship. “I don’t think anyone else would be comfortable. I’m sure Rich isn’t comfortable.”

Cozby prefers the shotgun formation — where the quarterback is several yards back — to him being under center. But not because of hand placement. Rather, it’s because the center believes it’s a safer maneuver and gives the quarterback more time to figure out what to do with the ball.

“When he’s under center, guys are inches from him who are trying to tackle him,” Cozby said. “When I’m in rhythm, (the shotgun snap) is the same thing over and over again. It’s a motion you master.”

Part of the center’s role is helping to determine which offensive lineman blocks which defender. Each Flame typically points at the player they’re blocking.

“We all communicate with each other, so there’s not a guy who goes free,” Cozby said.

He and Coleman became friends in junior high because “we were more mature than most. We’d get annoyed. We’ve always connected and got each other.”

As they grew up, they grew closer. Both became Baylor University die-hards even before the Bears won two Big 12 championships.

“It’s been him and I who are Baylor fans,” the center said. “We want to graduate and go to Baylor.”

His mother, Amy, teaches at the academy and his uncle Tyler Cozby used to coach there. So Faith Academy is a very special place to him. His father is Trey Cozby.

Cozby wants to be a youth minister. So when he’s not working or studying, the teen attends several Bible studies a week and leads one of them for students. He’s also one of the leaders of Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

He said he feels called into the ministry and uses personal stories to illustrate a divine message. He doesn’t worry about time commitment or the salary that comes with working at a church, adding that God will provide for him.

“I really feel like God has given me those thoughts,” he said. “God can speak through you if you let him.”

jfierro@thepicayune.com