Gobbler Fan
02-08-2007, 08:15 AM
February 08, 2007 - Posted at 12:00 a.m.
CUERO - Cuero coach Mark Reeve's most vivid memory of Tre Gray isn't of one of this season's 14 touchdown receptions or the game-saving tackle he made against Liberty Hill.
Reeve instead recalls the week Gray returned to the team after missing four games with an injury. Gray was cleared to practice on a Tuesday and was anxious to get back on the field.
"I told Tre that since he hadn't practiced on Monday that we would get him into the game but he wouldn't be able to start," Reeve recalled. "He told me that's exactly what I should do."
Gray's response may have come as a surprise to Cuero fans, who marveled at his talent but shook their heads over his antics.
"I remember back to my sophomore and junior years and I was a hot head," Gray said. "I would explode and that made me look bad. I had a couple of people talk to me like coach Reeve and that made me open my eyes. I learned if I could control my emotions, I could perform better in games."
Gray's performance on the field gave him the chance to play on the college level but his growth as a person opened his eyes to the world around him and led to his decision to sign a letter of intent with the University of Richmond in virginia.
"I had to think about the things I wanted from the college experience," Gray said. "The things I wanted to do and what I wanted to become. I had to look at past experiences and all the great athletes who wanted to become something. I had to get away, get focused and make something of myself."
It doesn't surprise Reeve that Gray was able to recognize what Richmond had to offer on and off the field was so promising that he was willing to risk venturing outside of Texas for the first time in his life.
Click here to visit Bruce Woods Online
"Tre's very mature and he has an understanding that the most important thing is that he gets a degree," Reeve said. "There's a lot of uncertainty with recruiting. It seemed like through the whole process he had a pretty clear understanding of what he wanted to do."
Reeve admits he wouldn't have made such comments in the past but witnessed a change in Gray this season.
"When we first started we met with all the kids and this being his senior year, he spoke," Reeve said. "He said, 'I was selfish last year and hurt the team and don't do that. The most important thing is for us to be a team and to play together.' That showed me a lot.
"You have to remember, Tre's so young, he's going to graduate at 17," Reeve added. "He's had a lot of success and there's a maturation process that goes on. It's not just failure sometimes dealing with success is a lot of it. Tre's very intelligent and he probably gives me too much credit. It was just his coming to the realization of the concept of a team. It was using his leadership ability for the betterment of the team. Tre's always been a great leader. It was just in what direction was he going to lead."
Reeve's message to Gray was reinforced by his father, Donnel, who attended virtually every Cuero practice this season and intends to do his best to watch his son play at Richmond.
"I explained to Tre that football was not only about the physical part but also the mental part," Donnel Gray said. "I told him it takes a team effort and that if you're uncoachable, I don't care how good you are. I told him we were going to stand side by side and get him pointed in the right direction."
Gray started at wide receiver and in the secondary for the Gobblers this season, catching 59 passes for 924 yards and earning third-team all-state honors at wide receiver and honorable mention in the secondary on the Texas Sports Writers Association Class 3A team.
But Gray's statistics at Cuero aren't as important as the lessons he learned while compiling them.
"If your goal is to be a college athlete, I would say start now," Gray said. "Get in the weight room and listen to your coaches. You may not agree with them but listen to what they're saying. You also have to pay attention in the classroom. They not only want someone who can play, they want someone smart. Teachers have a great impact on what you become."
Mike Forman is a sports writer for the Victoria Advocate. Contact him at 361-580-6588 or mforman@vicad.com, or comment on this column at www.VictoriaAdvocate.com.
CUERO - Cuero coach Mark Reeve's most vivid memory of Tre Gray isn't of one of this season's 14 touchdown receptions or the game-saving tackle he made against Liberty Hill.
Reeve instead recalls the week Gray returned to the team after missing four games with an injury. Gray was cleared to practice on a Tuesday and was anxious to get back on the field.
"I told Tre that since he hadn't practiced on Monday that we would get him into the game but he wouldn't be able to start," Reeve recalled. "He told me that's exactly what I should do."
Gray's response may have come as a surprise to Cuero fans, who marveled at his talent but shook their heads over his antics.
"I remember back to my sophomore and junior years and I was a hot head," Gray said. "I would explode and that made me look bad. I had a couple of people talk to me like coach Reeve and that made me open my eyes. I learned if I could control my emotions, I could perform better in games."
Gray's performance on the field gave him the chance to play on the college level but his growth as a person opened his eyes to the world around him and led to his decision to sign a letter of intent with the University of Richmond in virginia.
"I had to think about the things I wanted from the college experience," Gray said. "The things I wanted to do and what I wanted to become. I had to look at past experiences and all the great athletes who wanted to become something. I had to get away, get focused and make something of myself."
It doesn't surprise Reeve that Gray was able to recognize what Richmond had to offer on and off the field was so promising that he was willing to risk venturing outside of Texas for the first time in his life.
Click here to visit Bruce Woods Online
"Tre's very mature and he has an understanding that the most important thing is that he gets a degree," Reeve said. "There's a lot of uncertainty with recruiting. It seemed like through the whole process he had a pretty clear understanding of what he wanted to do."
Reeve admits he wouldn't have made such comments in the past but witnessed a change in Gray this season.
"When we first started we met with all the kids and this being his senior year, he spoke," Reeve said. "He said, 'I was selfish last year and hurt the team and don't do that. The most important thing is for us to be a team and to play together.' That showed me a lot.
"You have to remember, Tre's so young, he's going to graduate at 17," Reeve added. "He's had a lot of success and there's a maturation process that goes on. It's not just failure sometimes dealing with success is a lot of it. Tre's very intelligent and he probably gives me too much credit. It was just his coming to the realization of the concept of a team. It was using his leadership ability for the betterment of the team. Tre's always been a great leader. It was just in what direction was he going to lead."
Reeve's message to Gray was reinforced by his father, Donnel, who attended virtually every Cuero practice this season and intends to do his best to watch his son play at Richmond.
"I explained to Tre that football was not only about the physical part but also the mental part," Donnel Gray said. "I told him it takes a team effort and that if you're uncoachable, I don't care how good you are. I told him we were going to stand side by side and get him pointed in the right direction."
Gray started at wide receiver and in the secondary for the Gobblers this season, catching 59 passes for 924 yards and earning third-team all-state honors at wide receiver and honorable mention in the secondary on the Texas Sports Writers Association Class 3A team.
But Gray's statistics at Cuero aren't as important as the lessons he learned while compiling them.
"If your goal is to be a college athlete, I would say start now," Gray said. "Get in the weight room and listen to your coaches. You may not agree with them but listen to what they're saying. You also have to pay attention in the classroom. They not only want someone who can play, they want someone smart. Teachers have a great impact on what you become."
Mike Forman is a sports writer for the Victoria Advocate. Contact him at 361-580-6588 or mforman@vicad.com, or comment on this column at www.VictoriaAdvocate.com.