SLIPPERY ROCK — Have fun.

It's simple. It's to the point. Succinct. It's almost primal.

And it was the one reason why Zack Ejzak decided to turn in his high tops for cleats, his headband for a helmet and his jump shot for a jumping reception this fall.

At least for a little while.

Ejzak, a standout senior basketball player at Slippery Rock High, is playing football this fall for the first time in his life.

"I just came out because I figured it would be fun," Ejzak said. "It has been a lot of fun so far."

Not only is he suiting up each week for the Rockets, he's made a huge impact on and off the field.

The 6-foot-1, 190-pound receiver has hauled in 17 passes for 355 yards and a touchdown. Last week againstOil City, he had three third-down receptions that moved the chains.

On defense, Ejzak also has been an impact player. He is third on the team with 30 tackles and has one sack from his defensive end position.

But where his value has been unexpectedly felt is in the locker room.

Slippery Rock coach Clyde Conti raised some eyebrows this summer when he named Ejzak a team captain despite never playing a down.

"He has those athletic eyes," Conti said. "Those eyes of a leader. He's one of those kids you can trust."

Slippery Rock quarterback Jonathan Powell certainly trusts him.

"It's awesome having an athlete like him," Powell said. "I know I can just throw the ball in his direction and he's going to make the catch."

Ejzak would be lying if he said he wasn't surprised at how smoothly his first foray into football has gone.

He smiles and nods in agreement when anyone mentions his unexpectedly profound impact on the Rockets.

"I never really had any goals. I had no idea what to expect," Ejzak said. "My goals were basically about the team. I wanted to help them make the playoffs, and now I think we have a real good chance to do that."

Ejzak showed up the first day of summer with football knowledge that would barely fill a thimble.

He said he knew he had a lot of learning to do.

"I started coming at the beginning of the summer because I wanted to get as much stuff down as early as I could," Ejzak said. "I knew it was going to be confusing and if I didn't come in during the summer, there would be no chance I would have any idea what I was doing out there."

By the time the season started, Ejzak had a firm grasp of his responsibilities as a receiver. Defense, though, was a different story.

He started out as a cornerback, then was moved to linebacker. Now, he is a defensive end.

And he's comfortable.

"I kind of like it because I don't have to think too much," Ejzak said. "I can just run and hit people. It's kind of a no-brainer position. I just go after the guy with the ball."

That's something he can't do in basketball, at least not without picking up a foul.

Ejzak has tried to keep that sport out of his mind while playing this one.

The injury risk is there, but Ejzak has been one of the few Rockets to avoid the bite of the injury bug this season.

That's making everyone breathe a little easier, particularly his basketball coach, Sean Strickland, who is a former football assistant.

Ejzak is projected to be one of the best returning players in District 10 on the basketball court after averaging 14.3 points and 6.2 rebounds per game as a junior.

"I'm not worried about it," Ejzak said. "Whatever happens, happens. So far, everything has been good.

"It's fun every Friday to come out and play."