At Weddington High School, students take tremendous pride in their athletics and all the alumni that originated there. The school has produced multiple big name athletes such as Clemson Star and NFL prospect Will Shipley, Super Bowl winning lineman Darius Kilgo, and an absolute beast on the court, Stephanie Watts who averaged about 15 points per game in the WNBA . In addition to those who have come before, Weddington also has had more top recruits than ever.
Recently, Weddington High School’s football program won their first ever 4A state championship and that attracts the eyes of players wanting top opportunities to get a scholarship at a D1 school. Trajen Odom is an example of one of these athletes. Already being a three-star recruit, he hopes to raise his status and receive even more offers. He already has offers from LSU, Ohio State, Oregon, USC, Alabama, and Georgia.
“As a player, I’m always looking for a way to better myself in any way possible. I’ve known of the Weddington Warriors for a year or two now and now that they have a state championship on their belt, I just knew this was the perfect opportunity for me to develop as an athlete,” Odom explained..
While Weddington has received multiple transfers to improve their football team, they also have already had current talent that has been going to the school for a while now. Some prime examples are T.J. Davis (ATH), Aiden Harris (DL), and Drew Harris (DL). All of the players listed are related to Pro-Bowl linebacker Thomas Davis Sr. which has given all of them exclusive development opportunities.
Being related to an NFL star linebacker, a lot of expectations come for T.J. and the twins. That’s one of the downsides of being a top recruit. Your stress levels are higher, you feel pressured every single time you step on the field, and you don’t want to let anyone down.
T.J. said “Being a top recruit is pretty cool. I have a lot more publicity being a top recruit and I’ve been able to grab the attention of colleges which is awesome. I do need to face a lot of pressure though so I need to constantly improve my game and ball out on the field whenever I step on it.”
Being a recruit has pressures that come with it; however, most athletes have learned to stay focused on their dreams and ignore any haters whether they’re adults, media, or even classmates. T.J. Davis has learned to focus on this more than others.
“One time this guest speaker came into my Sports Marketing class and she was talking about what we wanted to be when we grew up. I obviously said that “I’m going to the NFL”. She began to laugh at me and told me to be realistic but instead of letting her get to me, I looked her right in the eyes and said “I don’t care if you think my dream is unrealistic. I am going to the NFL”. I promised myself that I wouldn’t let anyone stand in the way of me achieving my goal and I’m going to stick to that,” Davis expressed.
Weddington athletes have many responsibilities. They need to find where development is best for them (even if it means transferring schools), they need to be able to handle the pressure of being a top recruit, and they have to stay motivated to keep pursuing your goal no matter what stands in your way. This is how one flourishes as a top recruit.
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