Thomas Gregory Excels Offensively, Defensively and in the Weight Room
It’s not every day you see a 15-year-old middle school student-athlete bench pressing 225 pounds 10 times. Then again, there aren’t many middle school athletes walking around like Thomas Gregory, a Stratford Academy football player. He is 5 feet, 10 inches tall and weighs approximately 230 pounds… as an eighth-grader.
The son of Billy and Allison Gregory just completed his middle school football season at Stratford Academy, where he played along the offensive and defensive lines – or perhaps I should say where he dominated on both lines. Thomas recently was honored as Co-Middle School Player of the Year at the ITG Next South Georgia Football Banquet.
“It was pretty much a mismatch this past year when Thomas lined up against his opponents on the other side of the ball,” said Stratford football coach Ed Smith. “He is a big strong kid who plays with great intensity and plays with a high motor.”
Like any great player, though, Thomas doesn’t excel with just brute force.
“From a technical standpoint, Thomas has very sound fundamentals and is well ahead of most every other player his same age in that area,” Smith said. “You can tell Thomas has worked on his technique in the various offseason camps, and that’s unusual from a player as young as he is. That comes with maturity, and Thomas is more mature than most 15-year-olds. When he is on the field, Thomas is a quiet leader, who leads by example.”
Thomas said he loves the game, and that love comes naturally.
“My dad played football at Marshall as a defensive end, and my grandpa played at the University of Miami as a quarterback,” he said.
With family roots on offense and defense, which side of the ball does Thomas prefer?
“I really love to play both offensive line and defensive line, but I prefer to play on defense,” he said.
Whatever the case, it’s a safe bet Thomas will continue to add to his already-impressive stature, especially considering his love of the weight room.
“I really like weightlifting,” he said, adding that he hopes to break the state weightlifting record once he reaches high school.
Despite his size, Thomas is not just a big-bodied, lumbering lineman.
“Thomas is a really good athlete, and he can run well,” Smith said.
The coach said Thomas’s speed led Stratford coaching staff to consider him for a linebacker position, but they ultimately determined that D-line was the position Thomas was better suited for.
“He can just get to the quarterback so much quicker from his defensive line position that we felt it was best for him and the team to play him there,” Smith said.
That athleticism also serves Thomas well in other sports. He plays baseball and wrestles, and this past year he proved he’s a pretty good grappler – he won a wrestling state title in the 220-pound class.
“I plan to continue to play all three going into high school if I can,” Thomas said.
There’s no question that the middle school athlete is athletically gifted, but he and his coach agree that football may very well be where he has the brightest future.
“He has all the gifts that the great linemen possess, and I would project him to be an offensive guard or center, and he will be a very good one,” Smith said.
What are Thomas’ goals?
“I hope to play football as long as I can,” he said.
He has a backup plan if football doesn’t become a career, though.
“I would like to get a business degree and own my own business one day,” he said.
Great plan. But I’m betting football will be a part of Thomas Gregory’s life for a long time.
