All athletes live for the big moments: the game-winning touchdown, the buzzer-beating shot, or maybe a diving catch.
They strive for success under the lights in front of the screaming crowds, but no one sees what they do behind closed doors, the work that shapes them into the athletes they are.
For our Texas Tigers, the real work begins as soon as the regular season ends, and the off-season begins.
“The summer and off-season are where you really find out what your team is made of. The goal is to make those time periods harder than the game so that the game is easier,” head football Coach Gerry Stanford said. “On the other side of things, the off-season and summer season show all of the mental and physical growth of our athletes.”
The work put into the off-season is incredibly important to a team’s success. With that, the Tiger football coaches have selected three standout athletes of the off-season who they feel have made a difference in themselves or their team to be honored based on their work ethic and attitude.
TJ Gray
Talent can only take any one part of the way, and without hard work, talent will go to waste. In senior TJ Gray’s case, his hard work and dedication set him apart and elevated his natural ability.
“TJ, you know, obviously has as much talent as anyone,” Stanford said. ” But I would say that in these last six months of the off-season that he’s changed, he’s become more of a man.”
The off-season presents a big chance for a team to come together and find their chemistry, especially after losing impactful players to graduation.
“Off-season is important for us a whole so that we can see what the actual team is looking,” Gray said. “We’ve all gotten bigger, stronger and faster. We just have to see how we perform together.”
For Gray, showing consistency through the off-season allows him to improve himself as an athlete and person and shows his team that he is there working for them.
“Showing up for my team is important to me so that I can show the guys that I’m there for them,” Gray said. “Just to let them know that we are all putting in the same work, no one is doing any less than the other.”
Gray looks forward to winning games with his brothers this season, but he also has a goal set for himself.
“This season, we just want to win games and have fun with each other. This is just a child’s game,” Gray said. “For myself though, I’m pushing for the receiving touchdown record.”
The importance of off-season to the team is substantial, but it carries into the athlete individually as well. Gray recently announced his commitment to the University of Tulsa and will graduate early to join the team for the spring season.
“TJ is someone that’s overcome a lot of adversity to get to where he is right now,” Assistant Coach Astin Greer said. “He’s put in a lot of work over the summer not only athletically, but academically as well, and he will be someone we will depend on heavily this year.”
David Potter
David Potter took the off-season as an opportunity to continue to grow as an athlete and leader for the Tigers. He continuously worked to better himself for the season, even on his own time.
“David J, to me, is the epitome of work ethic,” coach Jodie Aubrey said. “He has worked like a dog all year to come into this season mentally and physically prepared to be the best player he can be for Texas High football. That’s all we could ever ask of him.”
Athletes must be in shape to endure the games because football is a physically taxing sport. For the Tigers’ QB, being conditioned is one of the most important things to get out of summer workouts.
“Because that’s our summer break, everybody is doing what they want to do. You know, out having fun,” Potter said. “For us, being conditioned is important to our season, that’s why it’s so important we show up for each other.”
Aside from just the physical work, he’s put in to better himself, Potter takes to uplifting his teammates to keep them all in high spirits.
“David always stands out to me because his attitude is always near perfect. He always jovial,” Aubrey said. “He’s always in good spirits, and he’s always right there uplifting his teammates.”
As an integral part of the team, it’s important to Potter that he’s always there to show up for his team.
“It means a lot for me to show up during off-season and during the summer so that I can my team an example,” Potter said. “I want to be able to give them someone to follow behind.”
There always needs to be a willingness to work: you must be willing to give everything. David Potter made it a point always to be willing to give whatever his team needed from him.
“Throughout off-season, he never complained. He never has complained,” Aubrey said. “He’s never a guy who has a bad day ever. He’s just constantly consistent in how heehaws up. Because of that, we couldn’t ask for a better kid.”
Julius George
Over his three years in the Texas High football program, junior Julius George grew into an athlete who the Tigers will depend on in the upcoming season. The work put in behind the scenes is what got him to where he is now.
“Julius, he’s somebody who’s been with our program since his freshman year,” Greer said. “He went from someone who didn’t play much as a freshman and sophomore to someone we will lean on this season. He’s just a dependable kid.”
The work he puts into himself and the team allows him to take his natural ability to new heights, elevating the football team.
“Julius has a ton of just unlimited ability. He’s got so much just natural athletic ability. He’s had an incredible off-season and we’re putting a lot of stock into him ,” Stanford said. “The capability he has within his athletic ability has made us a better defense.”
For George, he lets the off-season get him into the necessary headspace demanded by the season.
“I feel like summer is important leading into the season is important because it’s crucial to just get your mind right,” George said. “It’s all really just a mentality game, you know, so having this long period of time to put it in that work helps to get us right.”
Along with Gray, George sees the need to show his teammates that they all are working towards the same end goal: to have a successful season.
“It’s important for me to show up in the off-season because if everyone is seeing me do everything I need to do, they’ll be motivated to do what they need to do,” George said. “It’s just a way for me to give my support.”
