He'll trade baseball cleats for track spikes at this weekend's state track and field meet in Gulf Shores, where he'll compete in the 100 and 200 meters and the long jump, as well as anchoring the Saints' 4x100-meter relay team.
Football takes center stage next week when spring practice starts and college coaches arrive to evaluate the speedy senior-to-be.
"It keeps me pretty occupied," Towner said of his busy spring, "and it keeps me in shape."
Towner burst onto the state track scene in February when he won the Class 5A 60-meter championship in 7.0 seconds despite abandoning track for his sophomore year.
Towner excelled as a cornerback, receiver and kick returner last fall, recording 39 tackles and scoring 10 touchdowns. He even played tailback after starter Jordan Huff suffered a season-ending knee injury.
Despite his football success, Towner currently holds no football offers, although Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Florida State, Louisiana Tech and South Alabama have shown interest.
"What I tell everybody is that he's a game-changer," said St. Paul's football coach Steve Mask, who compares Towner to former Ole Miss star Dexter McCluster. "He just makes things happen. I don't see why people aren't breaking down the door to get him."
The biggest -- or perhaps only -- knock on Towner is his size. At 5-foot-8 and 165 pounds, many football coaches wonder if he can withstand the punishment of the college game.
What he lacks in size he makes up for with speed, and that's why he views this weekend's track meet as a prime opportunity to enhance his football stock.
"It's very important," Towner said. "Hopefully, I can run a fast 100 and show coaches that I'm not just field speed."
Count veteran St. Paul's track coach Jim Tate as a believer in Towner's speed.
"I've never had a young man who has his speed and explosiveness," said Tate, a 40-year coaching veteran. "That's saying a lot because we've had good athletes come through here. He puts himself in a class by himself in just pure speed."
Towner said he's been clocked as fast at 4.32 seconds in the 40-yard dash, a key evaluation tool for football scouts, and he ran a 10.86 100-meter dash this spring. He hopes to lower his 100-meter time to the 10.7 range this weekend.
That's impressive for any sprinter, but Towner spent nearly all spring practicing baseball and trained sporadically for track. He'll compete this weekend against sprinters who have spent the last few months focused solely on track.
"One of the coaches here asked, 'How fast is Kylen?'" Tate said. "The answer was that he's as fast as he needs to be. That's a pretty good description."
After competing in four events this weekend, he'll take a day to rest and then hit the football field Monday. College coaches will be watching, with NCAA rules allowing them to evaluate players through May 31.
"It will be more pressure next week," Towner said. "Just stay calm and do what I normally do and not try to impress the coaches. Just act like they're not out there."
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