ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) - When Demeterius Thompson first walked the Brentwood School District hallways, he made an impression before ever stepping onto the field.
“I’m originally from the city, but we moved to Brentwood because my mom wanted a better life for me, my eighth-grade year,” Thompson said. “When I got to high school, freshman year, coach (Chris) Robin saw me and he’s like, ‘Dude, you got to play football.’”
Now a senior, Thompson has become a household name for Brentwood-Clayton football. A dynamic, do-it-all standout whose athleticism, work ethic and determination have captured attention far beyond the St. Louis area.
“In the second week of practice his first year here, I said, ‘I think you might be the first Division I kid I ever coach,’” Brentwood-Clayton associate head coach Chris Robin said. “And here we are.”
Thompson is a true three-sport athlete. Last winter, he led the area in rebounds for the Brentwood boys basketball team. In the spring, he won the Class 2 Triple Jump State Championship. Then, just three minutes after stepping off the podium, he was already preparing for what came next.
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“He has all these physical abilities most guys don’t have,” Robin said.
Still, it’s football that holds Thompson’s heart and his future.
“I built a love for the game that made me want to pursue it at the next level,” Thompson shared. “My mom won’t be able to pay for college. Now that I’ll have the opportunity to go to college, I would be the first in my family to do that. It means something to me.”
He spent the summer with coach Robin, traveling the country to showcase his talent from Kansas State, to Mizzou, to a 3 a.m. wake-up call for a camp in Memphis.
“Every time he went somewhere, he was impressing people,” Robin said. “He keeps showing what he’s capable of. Every time he gets in front of one of these major coaches, they’re really impressed, seeing what we’ve seen for a long time.”
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In late July, Thompson made a verbal commitment to Southeast Missouri State University (SEMO).
“Their term ‘brick by brick’ stuck to me a lot,” Thompson said. “It reminded me how I grew up. My mom, single mother of three, I grew up with her. From where we came to where we are now, it’s been a very slow process of each brick being laid down bit by bit. Something about their culture and how I grew up, it makes me want it.”
With a college commitment in place and his senior season ahead, Thompson’s story is far from over.
“The sky’s the limit for this kid,” said Robin.
High school seniors can sign letters of intent for football with NCAA Division I schools on Dec. 3.
Brentwood/Clayton football starts its season at Principia on Thursday, Aug. 28.
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