McClinton is a senior leader for the Totems

Sammamish Totems football player Tao McClinton is a dynamic force on both sides of the ball for his team.

McClinton, who will be a senior outside linebacker/wide receiver this fall, literally stands taller than most of the players he goes up against on the gridiron. McClinton is 6-feet, 4-inches tall and possesses a respectable 32-inch vertical leap. The rare combination of size and speed is something McClinton hopes will get him noticed by college scouts.

“I want to play college football at the Division-1 level. I just want to ball out, have a great season and show coaches what I’m made of,” McClinton said.

McClinton said the Totems have fully embraced new head coach Rylen Akana and his coaching staff’s approach to the game. Akana was hired as the Totems head football coach this past February.

“We are all excited as a team. Our team as a whole is just a bunch of young guys and we’re behind our coach fully,” McClinton said of Akana. “We just want to go out and get some wins and have fun.”

McClinton expects to have a bigger impact on the defensive side of ball than he did during the 2016 season.

“Last year it was pretty hard for me because it was a big learning curve in my first year of playing outside linebacker. I really got a lot of experience under my belt and a lot of reps. I should be just fine this year,” he said.

Recently the Bellevue Reporter had an opportunity to ask McClinton a few questions about his life away from the football field.

Bellevue Reporter: What is your favorite movie of all time?

Tao McClinton: The Dark Night Rises (Batman). I just like superhero movies. It is my favorite of the Batman series.

BR: If you could pick one person to go to dinner with, who would it be?

TM: Martin Luther King Jr. He is a hero to me. I would want learn more about his life.

BR: What is your favorite restaurant in Bellevue?

TM: I really like Red Robin in Downtown Bellevue. I really like the Bleu Ribbon Burger there.

BR: What is something unique about you that nobody would know?

TM: I’m really good at NBA2K on PlayStation.

BR: What is your biggest pet peeve?

TM: I don’t like fidget spinners. It is a trend right now.

BR: How many text messages do you send per day?