Crockett High School head football coach Jon Lowery vividly recalls the first time he began salivating at the thought of coaching L’Tydrick Riley. At the time, Lowery was the Bulldogs’ head basketball coach, and Riley was only an eighth-grader.

That was 1998, and Crockett went on to reach the Class 3A state championship game. But even with a team talented enough to make it so far, Lowery says Riley could have probably made a major impact.

"Oh yeah, he could have played as an eighth-grader on that team," Lowery said. "He was that good of an athlete. As a matter of fact, I remember our high school players racing over to watch L’Tydrick play junior high games. The kid was sensational, dunking the ball as a seventh-grader. Even then, you knew he was going to be something very special."

Special, indeed. And not just in basketball.

By the time Riley was a freshman at Crockett, he was starting on the varsity in football and basketball. On the court, he did a rather nice impersonation of his uncle, former Texas A&M star forward Claude Riley, who became known as the "Crockett Rocket" in the early 1980s. And on the football field, Riley was in a class of his own.

"Early on, it was obvious to us that he could play any position on the field," Lowery said. "He played tailback as a seventh- and eight-grader then started both ways as a freshman. He played quarterback for us because he was the best athlete in our school, and we wanted to make sure he touched the ball on ever snap.

"But his God-given ability is as a wide receiver. That’s where he is going to be playing at Texas A&M, and that’s where his potential in unlimited."

As a quarterback last year, the 6-foot-3, 210-pound Riley rushed for 952 yards and 14 touchdowns and passed for 765 yards and five touchdowns en route to earning District 20-3A MVP and All-State honors.

Lowery says his experience as a high school quarterback should only help him in making the adjustment to being a collegiate receiver.

"He’s got a great understanding of the game," Lowery said. "He’s a play-maker in every sense of the word. He will have no trouble adjusting to being a go-to kind of receiver at the next level. We put him at receiver a few times last year, flipped him the ball and he would make things happen.

"And in practices, I’ve seen him make some amazing catches. He’s a guy who can leap over a defender, tip the ball out of a guy’s hands and make the catch. And I also remember a play last year where he threw an interception across the field, where (the opponent) thought he could coast into the end zone. L’Tydrick chased him down and knocked him into the cheap seats. He’s a special football player."

That’s not all that is special about Riley, however. Lowery says what stands out most about Riley is what kind of person he is off the field.

"He’s a stand-up guy in every sense," Lowery said. "He’s a great player, but even if he wasn’t such an outstanding player, he’s the kind of guy who you just want to be around and to have your other players around. He’s more of a special person than he is a special athlete. He’s unselfish, team-oriented and just an all-around good guy.

"I’m certain he is going to make an impact at Texas A&M, and I can’t wait to see it happen. I’m sure there will be busloads of folks making the drive from Crockett to College Station to watch him play. I think he’s going to be one of those guys who Aggies will come to know and love right away."

– Rusty Burson