Some pretty impressive quotes from JJ's dad and another coach on Kellen in this article. Sounds like a hell of an athlete that has a possible pro baseball career ahead of him.
http://highschoolsports.oregonlive....gonianoregonlive-football-player-of-the-year/
Kellen Strahm of Sheldon is The Oregonian/OregonLive football player of the year
By Nick Daschel | Special to The Oregonian
on January 12, 2015 8:00 AM
In preparing for Oregon City's second-round state playoff game against Sheldon, Pioneers coach Randy Nyquist watched several videos of Irish games, and in particular, quarterback Kellen Strahm.
After seeing Strahm run for 324 yards and four touchdowns in a playoff game against Canby, Nyquist told his coaches the Pioneers' defensive strategy was simple.
"We absolutely have to try to make it as difficult as possible to run the football. Let's make him do other things to win the game," Nyquist said. "And he did."
Strahm beat the Pioneers with his arm, throwing for 263 yards and four touchdowns in a 56-34 win over Oregon City. Wasn't bad with his legs, either, as Strahm ran for 59 yards and four touchdowns.
Wasn't bad on defense, either, as Strahm played virtually every down at safety. He also returned kicks, held on place kicks, even did some kicking.
Strahm -- who started the 2014 season as a receiver before moving to quarterback in late September due to an injury -- was as close as it came to a one-man football team in Oregon in 2014.
The electric Irish senior is The Oregonian/OregonLive football player of the year for all classifications.
"I did not see anybody this year that was as diverse as he was," Nyquist said. "That kid is the total package. He can hurt you in so many different ways. He's athletic, he's fast, he's got real good lateral quickness and he's tough.
"It's been quite a while since I've seen a kid as dynamic as him and have as much impact on the game."
Strahm may not have been in line for honors as the state's top player if not for an unfortunate incident. During Sheldon's third game, starting quarterback Justin Herbert suffered a season-ending knee injury. Strahm was doing plenty as Sheldon's top receiver -- 26 catches for 362 yards and six touchdowns -- but in moving to quarterback, had a chance to have a greater impact on the Irish offense.
And he did, despite not having played quarterback in three years. Strahm led Sheldon to the 6A semifinals, running for 172 times for 1,669 yards and 26 touchdowns. Strahm also passed for 1,299 yards and 10 touchdowns. Strahm had four games where he ran for more than 200 yards. In back-to-back playoff games, Strahm passed for at least 250 yards and four touchdowns.
Best of all, Strahm was a winner. Once he became quarterback, Sheldon won nine consecutive games before falling to eventual state champion Central Catholic in the semifinals.
"He's a really special athlete. In the 29 years that I've coached, I haven't seen anybody like that on one of our teams," Sheldon coach Lane Johnson told The Oregonian when Strahm was named as 6A offensive player of the year in December.
Though Strahm excelled on offense, Nyquist says he was equally dynamic on defense. The 6-foot, 185-pound Strahm could be found crashing the line of scrimmage to stop the run as often as he was covering a fleet receiver.
"There were times they would walk him up to the line of scrimmage and he would play head up on the tight end," Nyquist said. "And he returns kicks and punts, holds on extra points. He's on the field for every play, and really, really effective. You don't see that much any more."
This is unlikely to be the last award of Strahm's senior year, as his versatility stretches beyond the football field. Strahm is a college and pro baseball prospect as a returning all-state outfielder.
Wherever Strahm ends up, he has a fan in Nyquist.
"Man, he's so humble. You can tell he plays like he loves the game. He's all the things a football player should be," Nyquist said.