By Chris Gabel
After months of waiting for a scholarship offer to come in, the two-time RGJ All-North Football Player of the Year and the 2008 Gatorade state player of the year got what he was looking for Wednesday night.
The McQueen senior was offered a full-ride scholarship to play at California, Berkeley, by head coach Jeff Tedford, which he accepted -- though he has not yet signed a letter of intent.
"This is awesome, it really is," York said Thursday. "There were some stressful times but this is exactly what I wanted: a Pac-10 school at a high level of play." The 5-foot-11 York -- who rushed for 3,191 yards and 47 touchdowns and had 152 tackles, six sacks and two interceptions for the Lancers the past seasons, including leading a run to the 4A state championship last yeas -- will be a safety for the Golden Bears. He will first gray shirt this upcoming season and enroll in the spring. He will have four years eligibility, as well as a redshirt season, available beginning with the 2010 season. "This is quite unique, to get an offer this late in the recruiting process," said Jim Snelling, who was McQueen's defensive coordinator the past five years before becoming head coach this offseason. "But I have never coached a kid with any more of competitive drive than him. I am very excited for him."
UNLV was pursuing York hard -- he watched the Rebels' April 3 spring scrimmage from the sideline -- but they never put a scholarship offer on the table. Nevada was offering a preferred walk-on spot as a running back, but the Wolf Pack's depth chart at the position is not advantageous, York noted.
"Tyler received a lot of attention from a lot of schools but no one pulled the trigger," Snelling said.
York took an official visit to the Berkeley campus last weekend. If all things had been equal, York would have preferred to play running back but the opportunity to play at Cal was too much to pass up.
"Now that this has happened I am so relieved," said York, who got the attention of the Cal coaches be sending them a highlight film. "But I still have a lot of work to do before I get there,"
According to Scouts, Inc., York has the frame to bulk up from current his current weight of 190 pounds to 210 pounds. "We like this kid's energy and aggressiveness as a football player on both sides of the ball," Scouts, Inc. says on ESPN.com. "... Fills hard and fast when attacking vertically. Displays good chase speed and adequate range with his longer-stride in run support. Does not stay blocked for long when pursuing through traffic and closes on ball carriers strong as a tackler."
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