Daylon Mack
GLADEWATER
RUNNING THE 100-METER dash for his eighth-grade track team is just a memory now for Daylon Mack.
Other athletic ventures have worked
out for the senior, who has developed
into a 6-1, 315-pound big-time recruit
as a defensive tackle for the Bears.
Mack was one of the reasons Gladewater advanced deep in the Class 3A
Division II playoffs before losing to
eventual-state champion Argyle in
the state quarterfinals a year ago. A
lot is expected of the Bears this year
and their star interior defender, who
is committed to Texas A&M and has
more than 20 offers from high-major
programs across the country, such as
Texas, Oklahoma, LSU, Alabama, Auburn, Ohio State, Florida State, USC,
and others.
You can see the gleam in Mack’s
eyes when the mention of football
comes up.
“It’s an honor and a blessing going
into the season,” he said of all the
accolades.
Rivals.com rates Mack as a high
four-star prospect and ranks him fifth
overall in the state’s 2015 class. He’s
the nation’s No. 7 defensive tackle
and ranked 37th overall nationally
by Rivals.com regardless of position.
As a junior, Mack had 98 tackles, 35
tackles for loss, five sacks, an East
Texas-leading eight forced fumbles,
two fumble recoveries, a blocked kick,
and a safety.
“He’s physically special. I have
not coached anyone who has more
strength, speed, and agility,” said
first-year Gladewater head coach
John Berry, who was previously
Gladewater’s defensive coordinator
after serving a similar role for sev-
eral years at Longview. “You could
see in junior high he was going to be a
difference-maker.”
While Mack has rare speed and
athleticism for a 300-pounder — after
all, he had a 178-yard rushing perfor-
mance in a second-round playoff win
vs. Atlanta — strength and power are
his hallmark. He squatted 655-pounds
10 times before Berry stopped him.
While he’s committed to the Aggies,
Mack plans to make some on-campus
visits before National Signing Day in
February, but the big fella is most
focused on his senior season.
“I’m excited about what we as a football team can accomplish,” Mack said.
Kendall Sheffield
FORT BEND MARSHALL
KENDALL SHEFFIELD LIKES to let his actions do the talk- ing. In an age where top re- cruits clamor for retweets,
interviews and the attention of fans
on social media the Fort Bend Marshall cornerback bucks the trend by
staying off of the radar as much as a
guy with 33 offers can in 2014.
“He takes it all in stride. He is such
an even-keeled young man, so he
doesn’t brag or boast about any of
the attention,” Sheffield’s head coach
James Williams said. “He’s focused
on being a good football player. He
doesn’t have social media or any of
that. He’s a hard-worker, he’s humble
and he’s coachable.”
On the field, Sheffield is explosive.
He is a track star but he is a football
player that runs track and not the
other way around.
“Football and track have always
been my sports. I was good at them
as a kid and I just stuck with it and
tried to get better,” Sheffield said. “I
feel like I’m a long, tall, physical cor-
nerback with a lot of speed that never
gives up and grinds. I want to be more
aggressive and improve my footwork.”
“Recruiting really picked up after
my sophomore year when I went to
the Army All-American combine. I got
my first offer, which was Baylor, that
winter and it just blew up from there,”
Sheffield said. “Reporters were on
me a little bit and I try to do as many
interviews as I can but none of that
is my main focus. My dad keeps me
grounded and I won’t let recruiting get
in the way of having a big year as a
senior with my team.”
Sheffield will eventually narrow his
list down and he’ll be able to pick from
nearly any school in the country.
“I want a school where I can get an
education, have a great relationship
with my position coach and it feels
like home,” Sheffield said. “A chance
at early playing time would be great,
but distance won’t be a factor.”
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THEOLDCOACH.COM 31 FRIDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL TEXAS 2014
