For every superstar player on a team, there are plenty of players working quietly far away from the limelight. Over the course of a season, often the players less fawned over by casual fans are the proverbial glue that holds teams together. The Tift County High School Blue Devils have their own glue guy in middle linebacker Cody Thompson.
Thompson, a senior, has made a name for himself by not being a “name.” The 6-foot-2, 210-pound Thompson has become one of head coach Ashley Anders’ most trusted players and valued leaders in the locker room.
“On and off the field, I always do what’s right,” Thompson said. “If I see someone playing around, I always tell them, ‘Don’t mess around. we’ve got a game today (or a practice). We need to stay focused.’ I’m always locked in.”
Staying locked in is essential for Thompson, whose talents stretch to the baseball diamond as a first basemen for the Blue Devils. According to Thompson, the challenges of playing both sports have made him more well-rounded as an athlete and person.
“In baseball there’s no contact, so it’s a lot different,” Thompson said. “Baseball is more mental, whereas football is more physical. In baseball, you have to be mentally tough. If you strike out, you have to be able get back up and be able to say, ‘I’m going to hit this ball.’ In football, I’m not going to let anyone run me over, so the mindset is more physical.”
The Blue Devils opened their season with blowout victories over South Effingham and Cook County. Following a 5-5 season in Anders’ first year on the sideline, a strong start is exactly what he wants to see in year two. Players like Thompson are the manifestation of Anders’ coaching philosophy and what he demands of his football team.
“The first thing – no matter whether it is offense, defense, or special teams – is you’ve got to have a tough, physical football team,” Anders said during the preseason. “You have to be tough physically. You have to be tough mentally. You have to be physical at the point of attack on the offensive and defensive lines. Not everything is going to go the way that you want it. You’ve got to be strong enough mentally to come back from some adversity and be able to push through and do your job.”
On the football field, Thompson succeeds by being more cerebral rather than relying on physical tools. Thompson’s leadership and no-nonsense approach are tailor-made for the middle linebacker position he mans for the Blue Devils.
Middle linebackers are considered the quarterbacks of the defense. Like their offensive counterparts, a good middle linebacker must have a firm grasp of the playbook, know when to be aggressive, and know what audibles to make to confuse the opposition. Before this season began, Thompson identified what adjustments he needed to make to help the team.
“Going into my senior year, I’ve worked on my pass drops,” Thompson said. “The past years, I’d say my pass drops weren’t the best, so I’ve really worked on that and tried to make those better.”
When he is not barking out play calls and pointing wildly to get his teammates organized, Thompson loves to unwind outdoors by fishing, hunting, and shooting his crossbow. The rugged, outdoors lifestyle suits Thompson, whose mother works at a licensing office and father is a paramedic. Thompson hopes to major in engineering in college.
“Both of my parents have been my biggest role models,” Thompson said. “They’ve always led me in the right direction and given me tips on how to be a better person. They’ve always taken me by the hand and led the way.”
Coaches typically view their players as second sons, and players typically view their coaches as second fathers. In his second season under Anders, Thompson enjoys the relationship he has developed with his new mentor.
“Coach Anders is like a second dad to me,” Thompson said. “If you do wrong, he’s going to tell you, and he’s going to correct you. If you do right, he’s going to praise you for it. He’ll cut up with us, and we can mess around with him. He’ll get serious with us, and he helps us out all the time.”
Thompson lists his favorite athletes as current Chicago Bears linebacker and former Georgia Bulldogs standout Leonard Floyd and former Atlanta Braves second baseman Marcus Giles. In his final season with the Blue Devils, Thompson reflects on his journey thus far and what it means to be a Blue Devil.
“Going to Tift County, I have Blue Devil pride,” Thompson said. “I definitely wouldn’t want to go anywhere else. The teachers, everyone have been good to me. There’s no other place I’d want to be. I wouldn’t trade it.”
With the bulk of the season ahead, Thompson insists he is more focused on helping his team win a championship. Following a winless region record last season, the task will be challenging, but Thompson knows the Blue Devils can only reach their goal a single game at a time.
“This season, we definitely want to win state,” Thompson said. “Before we do that, we have to win each game Friday by Friday. By doing that, that will hopefully make us region champions. Then, hopefully, we can host a playoff game.”
On a roster of 106 players, Thompson is an integral part of the Blue Devils’ team chemistry. Every great team has a pecking order beginning with the head coach, trickling down to the best players, and often settling with the role players. Every great team must have every player buy into what the coaching staff is selling. For every Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, there must be a Dennis Rodman, a Horace Grant – players that were not stars but made their mark by being savvy veterans and the hardest workers on the court.
When it comes to physical tools, some players are just born with “it.” While elite athleticism is commonly developed through intense training, some players are just genetically gifted to an extent where their training takes them to heights others simply cannot reach.
Cody Thompson is not going to wow you with blinding speed, brute strength, or freakish leaping ability. Thompson, much like a hunter in the dark of night, resides quietly far from the limelight. Thompson is at peace with that, seeing his true value in the intangible.
“Basically, it’s just all heart,” Thompson said frankly. “I’m not the fastest. I’m not the strongest. But I’m determined and resilient. Being determined will take you a long way, and it makes up for all the stuff that I don’t have.”
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Blue Collar Blue Devil
Written by Shane Thomas
Photo by Marque Milla Reese
