BUENA PARK – Before the start of his senior season, the question was overheard far too many times.
Who is Nik Needham?
While it was a frustrating phrase to listen to, the 6-foot, 180-pounder could understand why he continued to be considered an unknown.
Three years into his high school career, Needham had played in three varsity football games. There wasn’t much game film of him to show college recruiters who wanted to evaluate his on-field capabilities.
That was until this past season.
After his transfer to Buena Park, Needham produced one highlight after another on the football field. The two-way star averaged 23 yards per reception, amassed nearly 900 receiving yards and was a shut-down corner on defense.
Last week, on National Signing Day, he officially signed his national letter of intent to play football at the University of Texas-El Paso.
“We put our best players on the field, and that showcases their abilities,” Buena Park coach Anthony White said. “Nik got a scholarship as a defensive back, but he led our team and our league in receiving yards. He was our kickoff returner and our punt returner. And he started at corner on every single play this season.”
After waiting for an opportunity to show his skills and searching for the right fit, Needham finally found it at Buena Park.
He spent his freshman and sophomore years at San Clemente, where he played at the junior varsity level, while living with his mother, Shannon.
Nik’s father, Steve Calhoun, had been an assistant at Servite under Troy Thomas in 2007 and 2008, and he thought the school would be an ideal location for his son. Needham moved in with his dad in 2012 and played for the Friars his junior season.
“It was different for me from when I first came in because I never really felt like I wanted to end my high school career there,” Needham explained of his time at Servite.
While part of Servite’s deep roster, Needham played in just three varsity games.
Frustrated and feeling somewhat out of place, he decided to transfer schools. Time was running out on his high school career.
Attending the right high school was a must.
“When we looked over here (at Buena Park),” Needham said, “this seemed liked the closest thing to a home.”
He officially transferred to Buena Park at the start of the second semester of his junior year. On his first day, Needham met one of his future teammates.
“Jaylinn Hawkins was waiting for me the first day I got here,” he recalled. “He introduced me to all the kids around here and they all just welcomed me so quick. I felt like I had been going here since I was a freshman within, like, two weeks.”
After getting settled in, Needham began working out with his future teammates. So, too, did his dad.
Widely regarded as one of the best private quarterback coaches in the country, Calhoun became the offensive coordinator at Buena Park, providing him a chance to coach his son – a combination that proved to be lethal when seven-on-seven drills began in the spring.
“A lot of coaches met Nik in the spring and were like, ‘Where has this kid been hiding?’” White said.
College recruiters started approaching Needham at spring showcases and passing tournaments.
But only one school, UTEP, offered him a scholarship heading into the 2013 season.
Needham had a monster season for the Coyotes, offensively and defensively, and his game tape began circulating.
Schools such as Fresno State, Colorado, Cal and San Jose State started hanging out around the Buena Park campus as signing day neared.
The message was clear, however. UTEP was Needham’s first choice.
“They recruited me hard,” he said of the Miners. “I’m coming in with a chip on my shoulder. That’s how I played this past season.
“No one really knew about me, but I knew I could play. Now I want to show everybody else that.”
Contact the writer: kconnolly@ocregister.com
