Name: Cairo Attaway

School: Midway High School, Waco, Texas

Sports: football, powerlifting

Heading into his senior season, Attaway, a 5-foot-10, 175-pound defensive back, built his skills by spending countless hours in the weight room. His competitions in powerlifting made him more explosive on the field, and he’s poised to deliver a big impact in Midway’s secondary. STACK caught up with Attaway to talk training, recruiting and what he wants to accomplish during his senior year.

STACK: Now that you’re a senior, have you taken on a leadership role?

Cairo Attaway: I try to lead by example every single day. I give 100 percent in the weight room, on the field and in the classroom.

What are your goals for this season?

I just really want to play at a high level. I want to make sure my name is remembered after I leave. I plan on accomplishing that by continuing to work hard and listening to my coaches. As always, I’m trying to get bigger, faster and stronger so I can be more aggressive on the field.

How do you balance training for football with training for powerlifting?

My training regimen is all about performing better in my sport. A regular workout day consists of Power Cleans or another Olympic-style lift, Squats and auxiliary exercises. After I lift, I always run sprints or do some type of endurance training. Since I do powerlifting, I also do some extra lifts like Deadlifts or Board Bench Press. I definitely feel that extra training pays off on the field. It gives me an edge over the guys who aren’t doing it.

Anything specific you wanted to work on this season?

I’m always just trying to get bigger, stronger and faster. The bigger, stronger and faster I am, the more aggressive I can be on the field.

What’s your nutrition like?

STACK taught me that I always need to load up on carbs before my games and workouts! I make sure to do that, and I always try to have plenty of fruits and vegetables in my meals.

How’s recruiting going?

I’m really enjoying the recruiting process so far! Some of the schools I’ve been talking to include Houston, Southern and Abilene Christian. I want to be somewhere where I can be a part of something great and become a better man.

Are there any athletes you especially look up to?

LaDainian Tomlinson. He’s from Waco so I grew up going to his camps. He taught me along with hundreds of other kids about working hard, having great character and being faithful to Christ. That meant a lot to me, and I still carry what I learned from him with me today.

LEARN & APPLY

 MAJOR ON MY MIND

Attaway is excited about the prospect of playing football in college, but with a core GPA of 3.3, he still puts academics first. A key factor in his recruiting will be deciding what college can best prepare him for life after graduation. “I’m looking for a college that will prepare me for the career of my choice. I want to major in journalism,” Attaway says.

Knowing what you want to major in can really help you narrow down your choices, and it ensures that you’ll take the classes you need when you get to college.

Attaway By the Numbers 

• Bench Press: 315 pounds
• Squat: 365 pounds
• Deadlift: 470 pounds
• 40 Yard-Dash: 4.6 seconds
• 5-10-5 Shuttle: 4.18 seconds