Standing at 6’0″ and 240 pounds, Brody Toney is a lineman for Bay Waveland Middle School out in Bay Saint Louis, Mississippi and will be going to Bay High School. In our Gridiron Football Junior High All-American Bowl Game this past December, Toney played for Team South and helped protect his quarterbacks. Toney is a motivational player, always trying to spark that drive in his teammates to go the extra mile. This past week, I had the chance to speak with Brody.
Q: Why do you play the game of football?
“It’s fun and I watched it when I was young. [It’s been a big part of my life since.] I was really interested in it, and now I’m here playing football.”
Q: Where do you see football going in your life?
“I see myself going to the NFL. I want to be a pro.”
Q: What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned through playing football?
“I think the biggest lesson that I have learned is that it taught me how to be a man. How to communicate, how to be a leader and really cooperate with others.”
Q: What does football mean to you, on a personal level? Why is it important to you?
“To me, it’s about my brother. He was an inspiration to me, and his legacy is a part of me.”
Q: What challenges have you overcome on the football field?
“I would say I had to become more confident in myself and become more of a leader, both on and off the field.”
Q: What motivated you to overcome those challenges?
“My teammates would be slacking, and I want to help form them up and drive them. I want to be a winner [and I know they do to].”
Q: How do you balance sports with your other responsibilities in life, especially school?
“I’m a straight A student and my mom is a teacher, so grades are a priority in this house. If I don’t have good grades, I can’t be on the field, so I make sure to handle that first and foremost.”
Q: How do you stay trained and in football-shape during the off-season?
“I eat healthy, I work out, and I run a mile on the nearby bridge about twice a week. I also play basketball, and have been for about six years.”
Q: How are you looking to improve your game in football?
“I put everything in the other sports I play in to football, so I want to do more of that. That really helps me.”
Q: And what do you think is your biggest strength out on the football field?
“I’m a role model. People look up to me, even my teammates. I try and do everything right.”
Q: What are some goals you’ve set for yourself, out on the field especially?
“To get stronger and faster.”
Q: Do you try to model your game after any players, pro or collegiate?
“Yeah, I model myself after my brother, Dallas Payne, and Aaron Donald. Donald gives me excellent examples of what I need to do in the game.”
Q: Do you consider football to be more physically challenging, mentally challenging, or a bit of both?
“Definitely both. You have to be mentally strong for this kind of sport. When you take hard losses, it can hurt you. You could have made a difference. Physically, you have to be stronger and work on your technique constantly [to win].”
Q: What is an interesting fact about you that the readers should know?
“I have size 17 shoe size and an eleven-inch finger span.”
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