SLIPPERY ROCK — There was one thingZack Ejzak wanted more than anything for his birthday last year.

A tattoo.

As the Slippery Rock High senior was mulling his choices, one particular design caught his eye.

It was a Chinese symbol. It wasn't until after it was inked low on his left shoulder that he found out what it stood for.

Power.

"I didn't know what it meant," Ejzak said. "It just looked kind of cool."

It's also fitting. Ejzak has a lot of power these days.

In his first season of organized football, Ejzak set a Slippery Rock record for receptions in a season with 44, eclipsing the old mark of 31 set by Curtis Harry in 1999. He also shattered the school record for receiving yards in a season with 889.

Mike McCaffrey set that record with 571 yards in 2002.

His breakout season earned Ejzak, a 6-foot-1 tight end, a spot on the Class AAA all-state second team.

"I never really thought about it until after the season ended," Ejzak said. "I never thought of breaking records. I just wanted to play to have fun."

It was fun for Ejzak, but not so much fun for those trying to defend him.

He had four 100-yard games, and saved his best efforts for the stretch drive that helped the Rockets make the playoffs for the first time since 2002.

A basketball player all his life, his football success has opened many doors for Ejzak.

Football coaches are calling now. He's received interest from just about every Presidents' Athletic Conference school, as well as some Division II programs.

Even Division I-AA New Hampshire has shown an interest.

"I have to make a decision here pretty soon to play one or another," Ejzak said. "As of right now, I'm not even sure which one I want to play. If you would have asked me that question a year ago, I would have said basketball, no question."

But his football success has made that choice a difficult one.

College coaches are intrigued by his potential on the football field.

But Ejzak doesn't want to be a project in college, sitting for several years before seeing the field.

"If I go somewhere to play football, I want to go somewhere where I can play," he said.

That makes his decision even more arduous.

On the basketball court, he is a known commodity, and he's off to a tremendous start for the Rockets.

Ejzak is averaging 16.7 points per game to go along with 6.5 rebounds and 4.1 assists per contest.

He's also a 77-percent shooter from the free throw line and is second on the team with 18 steals.

A move from point guard to his natural position of forward-shooting guard has made him even more lethal in Slippery Rock's attack.

"I am not a point guard," Ejzak said. "That's why it is so nice having Ethan (Geisler) playing there. We never have to worry about getting the ball up the floor."

Coach SeanStrickland worried that Ejzak would have to shake off considerable rust coming off his football experience.

But Ejzak excelled almost from the start.

"It was a lot quicker than I thought," Strickland said. "I thought maybe around January he'd start getting his basketball legs back, but it's nice he hit his stride a little bit quicker."

A main reason for the quick transition is Ejzak's work ethic.

Every Monday and Tuesday during the football season, Ejzak and several of the other starters on the basketball team came the gym at 6 a.m. and shot around before school.

Ejzak said it made a difference come December.

"It was hard," Ejzak said. "Sometimes I didn't want to do it, but there were several of us, and if one of us missed, we got beat on from the others."

Whatever the future holds for Ejzak, he's happy he has choices.

He said he has no desire to play both sports in college. Whatever sport he chooses, Ejzak said he plans to be a power.

He has the tattoo to prove it.