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GREENSBORO -- Kencie Brewer is a linebacker, first and foremost. Football is his favorite sport, his passion. Shot put is just something he picked up to keep him in shape.

So you can imagine his surprise when he found out he qualified to participate in the Nike Outdoor Nationals.

"I was nervous, but I was excited too," Brewer said. "Just to be here and compete with some of these people, these are some of the best in the nation. I was real happy, to tell you the truth."

Brewer had no intentions of ever picking up shot put. At the recommendation of his football coach, he initially decided to run track for Southern Guilford as a secondary sport. But that notion didn't last for long, as he stumbled upon a field event instead.

"One day I picked up a shot, and my coach asked me to throw it," he said. "I did, and ever since then, I've just been doing it."

His track and field coach, Larry Ratliff, said his physical frame -- he's listed at 5-foot-11, 220 pounds -- made it easy to envision him as a shot putter. And though he had innate skills as a freshman, his hard work has led to gradual improvement each year.

"He had a lot of natural ability," Ratliff said. "He improved from 38 feet as a ninth grader to 48 feet as a 10th grader. You don't see a lot of kids improve 10 feet in one year. You knew the potential was there, and you knew that the drive was there."

Brewer, who recently graduated, has since improved to a personal best of 55 feet, four inches. More importantly for him, though, is the advantage shot put has given him on the football field.

"I got a lot stronger doing this," Brewer said. "Doing this helped me lift more than I did with football."

Although Brewer views shot put as a way to stay in shape, he has made a name for himself away from the football field. In addition to breaking Southern Guilford's school record, he was also conference champion three years in a row and regional champion this year.

Brewer wasn't quite as successful Saturday, coming in seventh place with a distance of 52-1. But he wasn't disappointed. In his first trip to the Nike Outdoor Nationals, he realized the biggest difference is that the level of competition is so high.

"Everybody's the same here," Brewer said. "I'm used to going to some meets and just dominating. It's a big change."

Brewer plans to attend Appalachian State in the fall, where he will participate in both football and shot put. He continues to hold a goal of 60 feet, which he plans to achieve during collegiate competition. As his high school career comes to a close, he'll be leaving behind a great reputation, a legacy to be beaten, and a few broken records.

"He's had a great career," Ratliff said. "He's really one of the guys who helped elevate our program."

Contact Joel Brown at 373-7091 or joel.brown@news-record.com