(The Dallas Examiner) – Today’s high school athletes are destroying the myth that high school football players are just a bunch of dumb jocks. Several players from Dallas ISD, as well as DeSoto, Duncanville Lancaster and Cedar Hill ISD have either signed or are receiving a full athletic and academic scholarships to colleges and universities around the country.
Three local high school seniors have been highlighted for their commitment on and off the field, producing GPAs of 3.9 and higher. They include two players from South Oak Cliff High School and one player from DeSoto High School.
Deondrae “Tiger” Riden
DeSoto High School running back and all-time rushing leader
Position played: running back
Job: Lead rusher for the Eagles football team
High school career stats: 4,194 rushing yards 56 touchdowns; broke DeSoto High School’s school rushing record and became the Eagles all-time rushing leader.
Born: Dallas
GPA: 3.9
Years played: 3
UIL State Titles: 2
College plans:
Signed with Texas A&M University on full athletic/academic scholarship. He also visited Texas, Ole Miss and SMU.
“I chose Texas A&M because it felt like home when I visited there. It was like one big family, especially for DeSoto High School because Texas A&M has a lot of athletes from DeSoto High School who ended up playing in the NFL”
Who do you attribute your success to?
“I would like to thank my mom and my dad for getting me to where I am today. I would like to thank all my coaches from little league, to middle school and high school and everyone that was a part of my journey to where I am now.”
Future plans:
“I plan to major in business at Texas A&M and start my own trucking company and business. Obviously, my first goal is to play in the NFL, but if that doesn’t work out, then I would like to have my own trucking company.”
Advice to future student athletes or students in general:
“Stay focused, keep working. Never get too comfortable. Never get too high, never get too low. Just focus on school. School is important. It is an important role of getting recruited. I know many people have the ability to play, but school matters too. It is definitely important to stay focused on your grades, and it’s always important to stay humble because as fast as those scholarships or awards come, it can also be taken away just as fast if you don’t prioritize your grades. When you do get the first one, just stay humble and keep improving and getting better.”
Emeka Ugorji
South Oak Cliff High School offensive linebacker
Position played: right tackle
Job: the right tackle protects the quarterback
Born: Phoenix, Arizona – moved to Texas when he was 5 years old.
GPA: 4.1
Years played: 3
UIL State Titles: 1
College plans: Earned an athletic and academic scholarship to Stanford University
Who do you attribute your success to?
“First of all. I want to thank God and my family for everything they have done for me and sacrificed so much for me. Also, SOC and the whole staff because when I came here, I wasn’t the best and they just took me in and developed me into the man I am today. And I’m so thankful for that and my offensive line coaches, who invested in me and spent so much time with me. They take me to camps outside of practice. So I could not be more thankful for them and how they just developed me into the player that I am. I mean, they always keep me so humble.”
Future plans:
“I plan to major in aerospace engineering, and maybe get an internship with NASA, and then, obviously, the ultimate goal is the NFL, but if that doesn’t work out, then becoming an aerospace engineer is my goal.”
What advice would you have for anybody to get that academic and athletic scholarship.
“Managing your time would be like the best thing, getting your work done on time, and building relationships with your teachers, because they will always help you out. Let’s say you get a bad grade. If you develop that relationship with a teacher you can always ask for help to get better in the class. And if you’re always struggling in class, you have to ask for help. So that’s even on the field. If you’re struggling, you have to ask your coach for help. So you got to know when to look to your mentors for guidance and just take that information and capitalize on the opportunity that you get from that. You also have to put your classes first because if you don’t study, then you will not get to play. So focusing on your grades is important and that comes first.”
Carter Kopecky
South Oak Cliff High School senior quarterback
Position played: quarterback and punter
Job: lead team as quarterback and kicking strong punts
Career stats as quarterback: 3761 yards, 47 touchdown passes, 107.5 yards per game, 4 interceptions
Born: Arlington
GPA: 4.2 – 4.3
Years played: 3
UIL State Titles: 1
College plans: Not committed yet but has scholarship offers from Ivy League schools such as Yale, Dartmouth, Columbia, and Division II Schools such as Northeastern State University and Cincinnati College of Louisiana.
Who do you attribute your success to?
“I’d like to thank just South Oak Cliff football as a whole, coaches and the players, everybody around me constantly pushing me to be the best I can be every single day. It’s not possible without them, and just the constant competition that goes on in the school, not only on the field, but in the classroom. And everybody here wants to be the best. So I want to thank everybody for that, coaches and players, and I want to thank my parents for the constant sacrifice that they make for me. Their sacrifices financially, their sacrifices mentally, emotionally, everything to help me be in the best position I can be constantly. And then coach Walker and coach Robert, a bunch of quarterback trainers for developing me to be the best quarterback in their eyes, and hopefully the best quarterback that I could possibly be in the future as well.”
Future plans:
“I want to go to college and major in kinesiology, physical therapy program, eventually become a physical therapist and run my own program with that and just help people out. Playing in the NFL is the ultimate goal. But you always have to have a backup plan.”
What advice would you give students who also would like to earn scholarships:
“I would say you need to find what you want, and then stay dedicated to that goal. Always work towards the goal. And ultimately, you just need to stay focused and really just be confident in yourself. But focus is really the main thing and stay focused on your main goal and anything’s possible. So with that focus and confidence in yourself, you should be able to accomplish all your goals.”
To submit your athlete attending a high school in the Southern Sector to be highlighted for excellence in the classroom and on the field, send an email to newsdesk@dallasexaminer.com. Subject: The Contender submission.