Zaire McLaurin has the perfect nickname.
When he was playing Pop Warner football, McLaurin always wanted to do a little more. He always wanted to do whatever he could to help the team, and that included putting in as much work as necessary.
They started calling him the team’s work horse.
“It was from my coach during Pop Warner,” said McLaurin, a junior on the Northeast High School football team. “He saw my hard work and work ethic. It was originally work horse, but horse stuck with me.”
The name stuck. So did the effort.
McLaurin is one of the top players and one of the key leaders on the Vikings, who have become one of the top football teams in the area. They’ve dominated the Public League 6A for the last four years and have done better against St. Joe’s Prep in the District 12 championship in each of the last four years.
McLaurin has been a huge part of the team since he transfered to the school from La Salle after his freshman year. And what makes him such a good player to have is his versatility.
He’s comfortable at safety, he’s more than capable of playing linebacker, and if the situation calls for it, he can go after the quarterback.
“I like being in position where I can do everything,” said McLaurin, who lives in Germantown. “I have the most fun and I think I’m best when I’m playing a hybrid position where I can do a lot of things. That’s what I think is my biggest strength.”
So does Central Michigan. And that’s where he’s headed.
McLaurin accepted an offer to continue his football career for the Chippewas. And he’ll be doing what he does best, just as he’s slated to do in the fall for the Vikings.
“I liked a lot of things about Central Michigan, it’s a great school, but I like that they’re going to let me play hybrid safety and linebacker,” said McLaurin, who stands 6 foot 1 and weighs around 190 pounds. “But I liked everything about it. It’s a great school and they really wanted me. They’re going to let me do what I do best.
“I’m looking forward to getting started with them. I’m not worried about the cold weather, I like it. I don’t think it’s too bad. I’m ready for it. I think my family will like it, too.”
McLaurin has big plans for when he gets to Central Michigan, and he believes the Chippewas will compete for the Mid-American Conference. But before he heads north to don the maroon and gold, he has big plans for his team in the red and black.
Northeast has proven to be the top team in the Public League. Last year en route to its fourth straight 6A title, it knocked off Imhotep Charter during the regular season. But this year, McLaurin wants more.
Last year the Vikings jumped out to a two-touchdown lead over St. Joe’s Prep but eventually fell to the Hawks 43-26. It was a close game, much closer than the other games the Vikings lost to the Prep, and McLaurin believes this year they can do more than make it a game.
“We’ve been working hard, we can’t work since everything is shut down and all, but before that, we were working hard,” McLaurin said. “We have such a talented team. We’re as talented as anyone. We want to win the Public League, but we want more. Our goal is to win the state championship.
“I knew Prep was good, I knew it when I was a freshman. They’re very good. But I think we’re very good, too. I think we can beat anyone if we do what we’re supposed to do.”
Northeast has plenty of talent, including a lot of players who will go on to play at high Division I schools. Defensive end Elijah Jeudy is bound for Georgia. Defensive back Tyreek Chappell, also a receiver, has offers from all over. And there are other players on the team who have offers from colleges of all different levels.
That should make this season a fun one.
“I’m happy that I don’t have to worry about picking a college, now that it’s over, I can focus on my senior year,” McLaurin said. “I think this one could be a really fun year. I think we have a lot of good players. We know what we have to do, we have a great defense, and our offense can move the ball. If we do what we need to do, we should be really good.”
He’s also set beyond football.
McLaurin would love to play at the next level, but he’s planning on studying sports business at Central Michigan. It will always come in handy.
“School is important, academics are very important,” McLaurin said. “I like sports management because it gives me a chance to stay in sports. I like business. There are a lot of things you can do, and I think I’ll be able to put it to good use.”
