'Ragin' Azn' Choi runs with intensity for Cougars

Meet the "Ragin' Azn."

That's the hip nickname that Vernon Hills senior Ernie Choi uses on his myspace page.

Some of the guys on his club volleyball team thought it up. After all, Choi is Asian and he's also ragin' - with intensity on the court.

"A lot of guys on the team got nicknames. I like mine," said Choi, who is Korean but grew up in the United States. "I guess they all thought that whenever I play volleyball, I play really hard."

Choi says that his football teammates just call him Ernie, which has been known to prompt the question "Where's Bert?"

"I used to get that all the time when I was growing up," Choi laughed. "I still do."

"Ragin' Azn" might not get as many laughs in the locker room, but it sure would be appropriate, considering what Choi has done so far this season on the football field.

For him, it's volleyball-like.

Vernon Hills is one of only six teams in Lake County that has gotten off to a 2-0 start and the 6-foot, 195-pound, ragin'-with-intensity Choi is a big reason why.

He's run for more than 100 yards in each game - victories over Niles West and South Elgin - and is the focus of a Cougars offense that is averaging about 350 rushing yards per game.

"Ernie is athletic and powerful and he's got speed," Vernon Hills coach Tony Monken said. "I figured that if we could keep defenses honest with our passing game and get Ernie the opportunities, he'd be able to get some big numbers."

Monken says that he saw flashes of brilliance from Choi during summer workouts and could see this coming.

Others, however, weren't quite as clairvoyant.

According to Monken, some of the assistant coaches at Vernon Hills have been quite surprised by Choi's emergence. Pleasantly, of course, but surprised nonetheless.

Choi played behind star tailback Larry Guerrero last season, which means that he didn't get many carries. In fact, in some games, he got none at all. Experience was not on his side.

Neither was reputation.

Choi is known first and foremost as a volleyball star at Vernon Hills. In the past, football had taken a backseat to even club volleyball practices.

"I wouldn't doubt that the coaches are surprised," Choi said. "I've been focused on volleyball a lot. That's been my main thing.

"But I also wasn't the hardest worker (in football). I guess I just realized that this is my senior year and I want to go out with a bang. I worked really hard over the summer and so far, it's paid off."

At one point, Choi was practically in boot camp.

He participated in a unique summer program sponsored by the Naval Academy in which prospective students are not only shown the campus and educated about the school's various academic programs, but they are also put through the rigorous physical training that is typical of a service academy.

The weeklong program is restricted to high achievers in the classroom, and Choi qualified there. He boasts a 3.7 grade point average.

"Going to Annapolis changed my whole perspective on how to work," Choi said. "It was intense. There was this thing there during the training where you just went for eight hours of nonstop activity. With all those people there working hard, it inspired me to work hard.

"I've dreamed about being able to do the kinds of things I've been doing in football so far. But I hadn't been able to do it up until now. I think I figured out how to do it."

Volleyball has never required Choi to put forth quite as much thought.

It's come to him naturally. From Day One.

"At first, I went out for volleyball just to meet girls," Choi said with a laugh. "But then I played and I loved it. I just loved being on the court. I knew after that first game that volleyball was something I could be good at."

With a serious vertical leap, Choi has become one of the most feared hitters in the state. Last spring, he led Vernon Hills to the North Suburban Conference title with 186 kills and a .407 hitting efficiency. He rolled up a season-high 11 kills in the Cougars' huge win over Warren.

"Ernie is pretty determined," said classmate Keegan Harris, who plays both football and volleyball with Choi. "He'll do whatever he can to help win a game.

"He's a great volleyball player and now he's one of the main guys in football. He can get big yards when we need it. This year, he's really picked it up."

And just in time, too.

Choi's not sure whether or not he wants to continue his athletic career past high school. He says he's leaning toward going to a bigger school - like Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, Purdue, Indiana or Northwestern - and focusing on his schoolwork instead.

Choi would like to become a biological or agricultural engineer someday.

"I'd like to study bio fuels and things like that," Choi said.

So maybe someday the "Ragin' Azn" will become the-"Green Gazman."

pbabcock@dailyherald.com