“He's a talented running back that leaves it all on the field,” Oceanside linebacker Justin Vae'ena said.

Valley Center quarterback Tyler Bernard echoed that description.

“I don't know him personally, but on the field he's tough, has a lot of heart,” Bernard said of Early, Orange Glen's standout running back and linebacker. “That whole team revolves around him. He's the leader of that team.”

Early is known for being a fearless football player, an outstanding athlete and one of North County's best playmakers. He also plays basketball and is a swimmer for Orange Glen.

But Early has another passion outside of sports. The 6-foot, 175-pounder plans to pursue a career as an aerospace engineer.

“Wow, that's a hard degree,” quarterback Jordan Wynn said. “If he wants it, go for it. That's a hard field. I considered engineering at one point, but I'm sticking to business. An engineer puts his hand in everything.”

Early has an affinity for almost anything related to trajectory, velocity, thrust and all that defies gravity.

“Oh, really? Well, that's cool,” Bernard said when hearing of Early's goal.“I'd never think that. That's crazy. I'd still say the same thing about him.”

Early, the Patriots captain who has been the heart of a struggling Orange Glen program for most of his high school career, is an aeronautics fanatic.

“I never thought anyone in football would be a space engineer,” said Vae'ena, who met Early in a handful of collisions when Oceanside visited Orange Glen last week.

“That tells us what kind of character he is. That shows his qualities, especially on a team like Orange Glen. I don't want to put them down, but he's never had a chance to win there.”

Despite the adversity, Early has always followed his love for science. When he isn't studying football film, he is watching NASA documentaries or movies featuring rockets and military defense aircraft.

One of his favorites is “October Sky,” a 1999 film about Homer Hickam, a former NASA engineer who replicated a series of robotic spacecraft missions by the Soviet Union known as Sputnik.

“The first time I told a friend I am into aeronautical engineering, he couldn't pronounce it,” said Early, who became interested in the field after listening to a career day presentation in middle school. “That made me crack up.”

Early has applied to schools that specialize in his area of study: the California Institute of Technology, the University of Minnesota and the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Arizona.

Embry-Riddle is the self-proclaimed top-rated aviation and aerospace college that offers a variety of aeronautics-and space-related degrees.

“When you watch him play, he doesn't come across like that (kind) of kid,” said Orange Glen coach Kris Plash. “But when you talk to him, he has the right answers. Andy has the possibility to do anything. He'll have a chance to do whatever he chooses.”

And Early could still have a shot at extending his football career. But it all depends on where he decides to go to college.

“I love the game. I'll try and pursue it,” said Early, who ranks among the top 20 running backs in the county with 997 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns.

“I'm not being highly recruited, but maybe I can go to Cal Poly (San Luis Obispo). It probably won't be a scholarship. If I can walk on and get a starting position ... that would be great.”

But Early wouldn't mind giving up football if it means focusing on his career plans.

He's already taken every class available at Orange Glen related to his field.

If there's a math or science class in the curriculum, Early has probably taken it. His favorite class this semester: physics.

“I was a nerd as a kid,” said Early, who wants to work for NASA and design government spy planes. “I had robots that you had to put together.”

Early said he spent plenty of time building model airplanes during his childhood. His favorite was a blue and yellow remote control plane.

“It's a fun hobby to have,” Early said.

One that's not easy to tackle.

 Ivan Orozco: (760) 752-6758; ivan.orozco@tlnewews.net