Deondrick Glass garnered numerous accolades in his first year as the Katy Tigers primary rusher, earning numerous DI college offers and gobbling up yards like the monster of talent that he is — all as a sophomore in high school. Duke, A&M and Michigan scholarships are opportunities that student athletes toil through their entire careers trying to achieve, while the gifted Glass compiled them during his first year as a varsity starter. Katy fell in the playoffs against North Shore this season, but the running back plans on leading the Tigers to their record ninth state championship victory next season.
I had a conversation with Glass as he rehabbed from a leg injury, discussing FBS interest, Katy’s season and the importance of having mentors in his life:
You doubled your output from last year and you had close to 2,000 yards this year with 30 touchdowns. What changed? Was there a different work ethic or did they give you more opportunities?
A lot changed from last year. Obviously, I got bigger and I had more experience then I did last year, being behind Kyle Porter and all that. I had to start off on varsity this year. Over the offseason, I was working out. Working on my feet work. Getting faster and better.
Speaking of working out, whats your routine look like? Because we saw there were a lot of broken tackles where someone would hit you and you would still have positive gain. What’re you doing in the gym that’s different?
Katy already has a real good workout routine. But away from school, I do a lot of things. I work on legs. I do pushups. I do sit-ups. I work on my feet work mainly and I always make sure that I’m always on top of my game.
You work out every day, no rest days?
Yessir.
What was your proudest moment this season?
When we won a game in double overtime against Klein Collins.
I know that you’re a sophomore right now. But I saw that you have a lot of schools interested in you right now. What are some of the schools that you’ve gotten offers from or schools that have reached out to you?
Yesterday, I got an offer from Duke University. Before that, I was getting offers from Texas A&M, Michigan and schools like that.
Have you gone to any of the campuses yet for a visit?
I went to Texas A&M when they played Tennessee. I had a look around their campus.
Did coach Sumlin talk to you at all while you were there?
After the game, he had a meeting, so I didn’t get to talk to him. But, I liked everything I saw.
What would be your dream school? It doesn’t have to be a college that offered you anything yet. Was there ever a college that you were a fan of growing up?
Growing up, my favorite college was always LSU. I don’t know, I always liked them. I liked their colors and I liked their logo.
Lets go back to last season. First game of the year, you all lost to Westlake. Then, you kind of had a tough three game stretch there against other teams. I think you all went 1-2. All of a sudden, you all pretty much ran the table until the playoffs. What did coach Joseph do to spark a change in you guys to work it out? To start showing the Tigers team that we’re all used to seeing with Katy blowing everybody out. What changed?
He showed us that we could actually be beat. Everyone in their schools felt that we were human just like everyone else. We had to work if we wanted to learn and be better and get back like we did the year before.
I saw that you injured your leg against Cy Ranch. How’s your leg doing?
It’s getting better. Its strong enough to walk now. I’ve been doing rehab and everything.
What are they making you do in rehab?
I’m doing squats — one leg squats. I’m pushing up on the weights. I’m doing jump steps. I’m working on standing up with one remote leg. Most weight on my leg — my right leg.
I messed up my neck a couple years ago and they were making me do physical therapy for the longest time. There were some pretty hard workouts that they were making me do and… I mean… I workout everyday. But some of that stuff was really strenuous. So, I don’t know if it’s this same thing as doing the leg.
Y’know, they ask you to do six weeks non-weight bearing. And then, having to come back, the muscles haven’t been worked in six weeks. So, it’s kind of weak. Then, on top of that, they ask you to put weight on it. It buckles and shakes.
Obviously, because of the injury, you missed that game against North Shore. Season ended 20-17. What was going through your mind knowing that you probably would have had a positive impact on the game and likely would have won it? How hard was that for you to watch on the sidelines?
Well, it was pretty hard, but Josh (Oglesby) did pretty well without me. (INAUDIBLE).
What’re your expectations for next season?
To get back and win a state championship.
I was doing a little snooping on Twitter and I saw your head peeking out of one of those cryogenic chambers. Was that for injury, pleasure? What was that for?
That was before I had my surgery. I was just checking it out because I had worked out and I was kind of sore. So, I went to the cryogenic.
How was that?
It was good. It got real, real, real cold.
Colder than an ice bath?
It was way colder than an ice bath.
How long can you stay in there before you have to get out?
Three minutes. It was freezing.
You felt pretty good afterwards?
Yessir, I did. It helped a lot.
Outside of football, what are the other passions that you have in life right now? Or is it just football all the time, 24/7? What do you have going on outside of the gridiron?
Football is really my main thing. But, away from football, I like track and I play basketball.
What are your basketball teams right now? Who’re you following?
I like the Spurs. Obviously, I like the Warriors. Who doesn’t like the Warriors?
Do you want me to answer that question?
You don’t like the Warriors?
No, I don’t like the Warriors. They’re too stacked. I don’t like those teams that have too many people on them. I respect them. More than Cleveland. I hate Cleveland. I’m in San Antonio right now…
I come from San Antonio.
Very nice. What part?
We lived around the Judson area.
Do you have any mentors: football mentors, life mentors — anyone like that — that’s kind of helping you along this path that you’re taking?
My favorite running back ever is Barry Sanders. My coaches at Katy, they always give me good advice.
What’re they telling you?
That hard work achieves talent, but talent chose to work hard. Because, nowadays everyone has talent, if you don’t work hard, talent can be oversewn by work ethic and hard-work.
Did you ever get to play with Kyle (Porter) at all?
Yessir I did. Last year.
What were some of the things that you learned from him, shadowing him?
To always finish fifteen yards past the line of scrimmage. He was always a good leader. He always made sure that he was the first one there, last one to leave. He never took plays off. He always went hard.
Brought to you by:
Zachary Goodson- Abilene Cooper