Grayslake North's Booker a slam-dunk for Indiana

Time to buy the donuts. Again.

Titus Booker is suddenly becoming a very good customer at Dunkin' Donuts. Although, funny thing is, he's not the one who is actually savoring his purchases.

"I've thought about sneaking (a donut)," Booker laughed. "But I need to stick with apples for snacks."

Booker, Grayslake North's speedy running back and an Indiana University recruit, needs to stay light on his feet, after all.

The donuts go to his hard-working and hungry offensive linemen. Booker was determined to do something nice for them after they opened the holes that helped him break the school record for rushing yards in a game in each of the last two weeks.

He and quarterback Merrick Gentile bought three dozen donuts for starting linemen Dan Krajewski, Sean Pierce, Bobby Thomsen, Payton Campbell and Shawn Marquette, as well as all of the reserves, after his 329-yard game against Normal West two weeks ago. That effort broke Booker's own single-game rushing record of 290 yards, which was set last year against Rolling Meadows.

"They were really happy about the donuts," said the 6-foot, 182-pound Booker, who was again making plans this week to buy donuts for his linemen. This round would be a reward for his 359-yard rushing effort against Prairie Ridge last week, yet another school record.

"Those are my guys," Booker said of his linemen. "They're doing an outstanding job and they keep holding their blocks for me. They've been working really hard. I think any time I get over 300 yards in a game, they should get donuts."

A few more trips to Dunkin' Donuts and no one will be able to catch Booker.

According to MaxPreps, he was the top rusher in the state of Illinois with 987 yards through five games (197.4 yards per game), prior to Thursday's Fox Valley Conference game against Crystal Lake Central. Against the Tigers, he had 285 yards rushing and 4 more TDs, giving him three-year varsity totals of more than 3,100 yards and 41 touchdowns.

"It's a lot of hard work, but I'm having a lot of fun," Booker said. "It's a true blessing and I just try to take it all in. Every time I get the ball, I run like it might be my last run. You never know how much more you'll ever get in a game like football."

Booker's alluding to the potential for injury.

His junior season last year was unceremoniously chopped up when he missed the second and third games with a high ankle sprain. He returned in Week 4, but not at 100 percent.

"I really wasn't at 100 percent for the rest of the season," Booker said.

Yet over his final seven games, Booker still rushed for 1,300 yards and 13 touchdowns.

"I think that was a big eye-opener (for college scouts)," said Booker, who was already being heavily recruited. "It got kind of quiet when I got hurt, but then the scouts saw how I finished the season."

As Booker closed out the 2013 season with one big game after another, he skyrocketed right back up on the recruiting lists to where he was when he was first discovered after his sophomore year.

Up on varsity as a sophomore in 2012, Booker helped Grayslake North earn its first playoff berth in school history by rushing for 613 yards and 11 touchdowns. Also a track star, he went downstate in the 100 meter dash that spring.

"I think us getting to the playoffs put us on the map," Booker said. "We were a good team, we put a lot of points on the board. College coaches were taking a look at us."

Later that spring, Iowa invited Booker to its football camp. He ran a 4.5 40 dash in front of the coaches. When that news was posted on Rivals.com (it is now listed as a 4.41 40), Booker's recruitment went into overdrive. He was hearing from all kinds of scouts the summer before his junior year.

"That was a high-pressure time going into my junior year," Booker said. "Then, I got hurt right away. I just tried to stay calm and persevere through it and it ended up being fine."

After putting up all those big numbers on essentially one good leg last season, Booker then placed well in the state track meet in both the 100 (2nd, 10:64) and 200 (5th, 21.55). Even more big-time colleges came out of the woodwork.

"That really helped me get recruited," Booker said of his track success last spring.

Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, Michigan State, Michigan, Nebraska, Minnesota, Bowling Green, Toledo and Iowa State were all seriously interested in Booker.

Last summer, Booker tried to narrow down his list and went to camps at Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana and also visited Iowa.

"I chose Indiana because it was a family kind of team," said Booker, who thinks he could be used as a cornerback and returner at Indiana, but also might get a shot at running back. "I clicked with everyone at IU. It was just a really good fit for me all-around. I think they're building a really good program. We're going to do some special things there."

Booker has been doing special things in football since he started playing at age 5. He played with the Round Lake Spartans and the Lake Villa Timberwolves during his youth days.

"I've always been a running back," said Booker, who emulates role model Walter Payton by relentlessly running sled hills in the offseason. "Since I've been playing the position so long, I think I have some great instincts for it. The best part about it is that it really tests what you're made of.

"As a running back, you're always having to show your toughness and your heart."

Bet the offensive linemen at Grayslake North certainly appreciate the size of Booker's heart.

• pbabcock@dailyherald.com

• Follow Patricia on Twitter: @babcockmcgraw