High School Sports
Metro Mountain: O'Dea LB's silent fury speaks volumes

By Matt Massey
Special to The Seattle Times

Anthony Felder’s tattooed left arm is a tribute to his grandfather, who served 30 years in the Army and earned three Purple Hearts. “He taught me how to be strong,” the O’Dea linebacker said.

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When Anthony Felder speaks, his voice can barely be heard. But O'Dea's thoughtful, introspective inside linebacker makes decidedly different noise on the football field.

The 6-foot-3, 225-pound Felder, a member of The Seattle Times' preseason all-state team and considered one of the state's best college prospects, plays with a passion and fury that astonishes teammates and scares opponents. His powerful presence at linebacker and fullback again should make O'Dea a force among the state's Class 3A teams. "He's a monster. He's just a beast," O'Dea fellow senior Miguel Cheatham said. "He doesn't do a lot of talking. He just lets his work show."

A glance at Felder's massive upper arms and shoulders shows where he draws his inner strength. Tattoos of the tribal warrior symbols of power, bravery and respect are on both sides and the name of his grandfather, Alton Felder, and the years he lived, 1925-1997, are etched into his left one.

Alton Felder served 30 years in the Army and fought in World War II. He earned three Purple Hearts and came home to eight children.

"He was an important figure in my life," Felder said. "I was over there at his house all the time. He taught me how to be strong."

Quiet strength defines Anthony Felder, say his O'Dea teammates.

"Our team feeds off him. He's an inspiration, a leader of this team. He came into practice this year in the best shape of his life."

Felder earned a lot of his respect on defense as a quick pursuer and devastating hitter last fall. At the core of the Irish defense, he led the team with 146 tackles and had five sacks.

"In my mind, he's the best player in the state," Cheatham said. "He just gets amped up on the field."
 
On offense, Felder split time at fullback, where he rushed for 446 yards, averaged 7.7 and scored five touchdowns. He'll start both ways this season.

O'Dea has produced a long line of superb linebackers, including Demetrius DuBose in 1989 and Carlos Pierre-Antoine in 1998. Some Metro League coaches say Felder may be just as good — or better.

"He's the best LB I've seen over there," said Eastside Catholic's Bill Marsh, the Crusaders' sixth-year head coach. "He's one of the strongest players I've seen at the high-school level.

"He's fun to watch when you're not at ground level. He's the real deal. They're like a linebacker factory over there."

Felder was voted co-Defensive MVP for Metro's Mountain Division last season with now-graduated teammates Chancellor Young and Andre Geraghty.

The hard work in the offseason is sure to show when O'Dea opens the 2004 season tomorrow night with a nonleague game against Capital of Olympia at West Seattle Stadium. Capital handed O'Dea a 20-7 loss last season. The Irish (12-2) didn't lose again until their final game, reaching the Class 3A championship only to lose to three-time champion Bellevue, 21-7.

Felder upped all his weightlifting efforts, coming into the season with new highs in bench press (300 pounds), squat (410) and power clean (270).

"I did the hardest training I've done to get ready for a season," said Felder. "We have a hierarchy of players at O'Dea, and it's our turn now."

Nick Saban, coach of defending NCAA champion Louisiana State, was the first of many to offer Felder a scholarship in February.

He has already received other offers from Washington, Notre Dame, Arizona State, Ohio State, Oregon, Oregon State, Duke and Penn State. Felder says he'll make his decision after O'Dea's season.

"It's always been my goal to get a college education," Felder said in that soft voice. "It's a goal you work for."

First, though, there's more work to be done at O'Dea. With that quiet, inner strength he learned from his grandfather.