We would like to welcome our next rising star to Gridiron, Wesley Sherman, a 2027 DE out of Tioga High School in Rapides Parish, LA. Sherman is a force in the middle of that Tioga defense at 6’3, 230, with quick feet, powerful hands, and the ability to shed blocks with ease to get to the ball. With a GPA of 3.2, he attended the Gridiron Elite Camp in Monroe and performed very well in the drills and lineman competitions. He posted a 5.5 forty, a 4.56 shuttle, and a 8 foot broad jump. He finished his junior season with 45 tackles, 2 sacks, a fumble recovery, and 10 QB pressures.
Welsey Sherman is Red 53 in this video.
Here is my interview with Wesley Sherman:
What has your football journey been like for you? At what age did you start playing football, and what originally inspired you to play football?
I started in playing football in 7th grade, junior high, and I really played because I was big and my friends all tried out so I just did it with them.
Who have been some of the biggest influences in your journey? Family members, coaches, etc?
Definitely my mama, and my head coach and all my teammates. They really helped me gain a lot of confidence so I can love the game more.
How would you describe the football culture at your school, community, and in Louisiana?
Football is a great cultural thing. It’s a great thing we have in Louisiana, especially at my school, since we are a football-based school. So when it’s football season, we have all the supporters and all the community coming to watch us play, making it a great atmosphere.
Do you have a core memory of when you first started playing when you were young?
We had a red vs white game in junior high. They split up the eighth-grade team, and we just competed against each other, and we had a lot of fun out there.
Did you always want to play defensive end, or did you want to play another position at first?
I’ve always wanted to play defense because I love being aggressive, attacking people, and making plays. In junior high, I played on the offensive line, and in high school, I played a bit of guard because my coach told me I had to play both sides of the ball. I then told my coach that I would help better if I played defense, and that’s how it’s been the past two years, and I’ve gotten really good. I also played a little bit of tight end, too.
What’s something about your game that you think separates you from other players at your position?
I am a very hard worker and my technique definitely stands out.
What part or parts of your game do you feel like have improved the most over the years, and what would you like to improve on?
I’ve gotten really good at my get-off, using my hands, getting off blocks, and block shedding. What I feel like I need to improve on is lateral movement and quicker feet, things I am going to work on a lot this summer.
Walk me through your preparation during a typical game day.
I wake up and go to school. If the breakfast is good enough at my school, I’ll eat that but I make sure I get a lot of protein in me. I would go to class reguarly and we have fifth hour. Some days we will have a light workout, other days we will just chill out, game prep, and watch film. At 2:30, the bell rings, and we go to the field house, eat, and pray. The lights go out, and you just gotta get your mind right and in that zone to perform and compete.
The other thing is that the younger guys would kinda play around, and that used to be me, my freshman year, so we have to tell them to calm down since this is serious. When I started hanging around the varsity guys when I was younger, I realized that I had to grow up like I’m gonna get to a point where they used to be, and I have to start understanding this early and be more prepared.
How do you stay motivated during the offseason when the spotlight is not on you all the time?
I keep myself motivated. I go work out, work at school, come home, rest for a bit, then go do drills or hit the gym again. I also read the Bible a lot and keep God close to me, which is a great source of motivation. It’s also about having the right people in your circle and a lot of hard workers.
What were some of the toughest challenges you faced over the years of playing thus far?
Honestly, I’ve really had to earn it. I gained a lot of confidence in my sophomore year, and I felt like the seniors ahead of me; I felt I could do exactly what those guys could do. Sometimes, when I wouldn’t see the field, it would bring my confidence down a little bit. Like, in some games I would get good minutes and really good reps, but in big games I would get very few snaps, and I thought to myself, ‘I definitely could have helped more.’
What was the most memorable game you played, and why did it stand out?
I’d say when we played Pineville, because they beat us the previous year, and all the odds were against us the following year. We were even doubted by some of our own students. Not many people thought we would have a good season after going 4-6 the previous year. But we went out there, competed, and we won that game, and it was very meaningful. It doesn’t matter what other people think, as long as the team believes and trusts each other, we can compete with anybody.
How would you describe yourself as a leader to your teammates?
I am a lead-by-example type of guy. When the young guys see me go hard in a drill or go full speed on every sprint we do, I hope they think to go hard as well, since he is getting those results, so I should get the same.
When people look back at your high school career, what do you hope they say about you as a player and person?
I hope they say I am an overall great person, a great leader, and a great person to talk to. As an athlete, I want them to say I am a hard worker and that I put forth relentless effort, because effort is a big thing in general.
Did you play any other sports when you were younger, or do you do any others now?
I played baseball for a bit, then basketball, and I still play it now. My friends tried it out and convinced me to play as well. I tried it out, and it has worked out really well.
What was the Gridiron camp in Monroe like for you? What was the whole experience like?
It was a great experience, and I really loved it because we just went out there, competed with each other, and had fun. It was just a lot of great energy out there, and I love being around hard-working people who work to get where they want to be.
What were some of your biggest takeaways from it? What is something you learned the most?
When I was working with the D-line coach, he taught me a chop, a swipe, a rip move, and some key things to do. Also, the spin move is kind of related to basketball, since when you spin, you want to lean on their body and hook with your elbow. Stuff like that I can really use to my advantage going forward.
What has the recruitment process been like for you?
Coaches have been in contact with me. I have been in contact with Louisiana Tech, UL Lafayette, Millsaps, Grambling, and LCU. Overall, I have many interests and contacts.
Why do you believe you can be an effective playmaker wherever you end up?
Because I’m gonna work for it. I am not expecting any handoffs. I’m going to work my ass off on the days I have to work and even on my days off. So when you work hard, I believe that the results will show.
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