Clinton-Earl Twins Ready to Take the Next Step

Cameron Clinton-Earl decided which college to attend last summer. His twin brother, Aaron, needed a bit more time.

But the Hamilton High School seniors are both happy with their choices.

Cameron Clinton-Earl, a 6-foot-2 240 pound defensive end, signed a letter of intent recently to attend Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, IL. Aaron Clinton-Earl, a 6-foot, 205-pound running back, will attend Winona State University in Winona, MN.

The Clinton-Earls are looking forward to outdoor track season with the Chargers, then graduation followed by preparing for their freshman year in college.

Cameron was recruited by Northern Illinois by Jerry Kill. Though Kill then left NIU to take the job at the University of Minnesota, Cameron stayed true to his commitment and will attend the Mid-American Conference school.

Cameron will join two other area players — Germantown’s Mike Krause, a defensive tackle, and Milwaukee South’s George Rainey, a linebacker. Cameron will play for Dave Doeren, the former defensive coordinator at the University of Wisconsin.

“The whole coaching switch didn’t have too much of an effect on me,” Cameron said. “I didn’t know Coach Kill on a personal level and Coach Doeren is from Madison and I have been to a couple of Madison camps and I know Coach Doeren. I feel that it was a blessing.”

Cameron said he expected to redshirt under the Kill regime, but is not sure what the new staff has in mind.

The Huskies were 11-3 last season, with a victory over Minnesota and a near-miss against Illinois. They beat Fresno State 40-17 in the Humanitarian Bowl in Boise, ID, and this year face the Wisconsin Badgers at Chicago's Soldier Field.

Aaron would have loved to have attended the same school as his brother, but found the chance to play at Winona State too good to pass up.

“They came and looked at me and I got real close with their recruiting coach A.J Blazek,” Aaron said. “He’s real cool guy.  He told me how they’re looking for a go-to guy for the next couple of years. I can see myself fitting into that offense.  It’s a zone offense, the best thing that was offered to me.”

Winona State has its top running back, Rayon Simmons, returning for 2011. Simmons averaged 6.4 yards per carry and 113.8 yards per game in 2010.  So Aaron will have to wait his turn. But the Warriors — an NCAA Division II team — do see him being a major factor down the road.

“He’s a big strong kid, we like the way he plays the game,” Winona State coach Tom Sawyer said. “We run from multiple sets, he fits into what we want to do.  What he does after he touches the ball is what we look at. We recruited him because of his ability to carry the football.”

Aaron was chosen to play in the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association All-Star Game at UW-Oshkosh on July 16. The games are split into Divisions 1-3 and 4-7, with North facing South in each game. He carried 224 times for 1,364 yards and 21 scores this season, according to WisSports.net.

The Clinton-Earl brothers will be missed, Hamilton coach John Damato said.

“It’s been great working with these two fine young men,” Damato said. “I’ve had a great relationship with them.”