Euless Trinity LB Brian Nance boasts big-time offers
by Wade Perry
Posted May 3, 2011 8:34 am
Photo courtesy of Scout.com
When it comes to the bright lights of Texas high school football–you could argue there is no bigger stage in American high school sports.
Some of the high school football stadiums in the Lone Star state seat more people than a number of Division I-A (FBS) football stadiums.
FinestPreps.com has ventured back into the state of Texas and this time we found one of the top-rated high school football prospects in America.
His name is Brian Nance–and he plays for Euless Trinity High School in Euless, Texas.
Nance is supremely gifted on the gridiron and his exploits on the football field have garnered him plenty of attention.
He was named a selection to the prestigious U.S. Army All-American Bowl this spring–a game which features some of the nation’s top high school football talent.
Nance is more than worthy of the U.S. Army All-American status when watching his highlights.
He’s a heat-seeking missile in pads who seeks out and destroys anything and everything in his path.
Blessed with blazing speed for a 6’3, 230 pound linebacker–once the football is in his hands he’s a threat to take it to the end zone from any point on the field.
Not only that–his football instincts and tackling ability are world-class.
As a junior last season, the standout for Euless Trinity (Euless, Texas) racked up 174 tackles, three sacks, and four interceptions.
Not surprisingly–he’s one of the top rated football prospects in the state of Texas for the class of 2012 and he’s racked up so many scholarship offers he can’t even keep track.
Nance is one of the only top prospects in the Lone Star state in the 2012 class who hasn’t committed to a school yet.
Oozing with jaw-dropping versatility, the talented linebacker is also being recruited by some colleges as a wide receiver, safety, or linebacker.
FinestPreps.com caught up with the Texas phenom to discuss his high school football recruitment process, among other topics.
Below is the interview.
FinestPreps.com Interview with Euless Trinity LB Brian Nance
FinestPreps.com: Talk about how the college football recruitment process is going for you.
Brian Nance: “Well it’s going good–lots of letters flying in fast. I can’t really count how many letters a day–they’re from all over. It’s going good right now. I’m liking it a lot.”
FinestPreps.com: What schools do you currently have scholarship offers from, Brian?
Brian Nance: “USC, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, TCU, Tennessee, Arkansas, LSU, Oregon. I’ve got a couple other schools like Nebraska. It’s a lot of schools–I have millions of them. I just lose track.”
FinestPreps.com: So it’s probably over 10?
Brian Nance: “Yeah–way over ten.”
FinestPreps.com: With all the attention Brian, is it all kind of overwhelming for you or are you able to handle it in stride?
Brian Nance: “Yeah I’m handling it really good. I saw it coming. Coaches warned me about it and said it was gonna come in fast. I’m just taking my time. I’m having it go the way I want it to go not how everybody else wants it to go–for me to commit fast. I’m just doing it the way I want to.”
FinestPreps.com: Do you have any favorites in the recruiting process at this point, Brian?
Brian Nance: “Nah. I don’t really have favorites because the town that I come from. But I don’t have any favorites right now–not on the recruiting board. My options are open right now.”
FinestPreps.com: What about upcoming visits to schools, Brian? Do you have any upcoming visits planned?
Brian Nance: “No I don’t have any planned. I’m just taking my time right now, trying to get back to rehabbing and stuff. I don’t have any as of right now but probably in the summer I will.”
FinestPreps.com: What kind of injury did you have?
Brian Nance: “I tore my ACL–it was just a slight tear. I toughed it out. I just got surgery on it. I’m already walking and everything without a brace and stuff so I’ll be getting better.”
FinestPreps.com: Brian I know you play for a program there–Euless Trinity–which has one of the most storied traditions in Texas high school football. Talk about what you guys are doing to get back to that state championship game and bring home the state title.
Brian Nance: “Everybody’s working hard in the off-season, lifting weights, running. Spring football is looking real nice for us right now. Just my like my coach always tells us, we don’t have the right to say we’re going back to state yet. We don’t have the right to say that until we prove it. We’re gonna come out this season and prove to everybody that we’ve still got it. We’re gonna keep the tradition going. It’s fun playing for a program like that because the hard work and dedication that everybody puts into football.”
FinestPreps.com: Brian, what position have teams told you they’re recruiting you as?
Brian Nance: “As of right now, I’ve got linebacker, I have some at receiver, and I’ve got a couple at safety.”
FinestPreps.com: Do you have a preference as to where you would like to play on the next level, Brian?
Brian Nance: “It doesn’t matter to me. As long as I get a chance to play on the field, even special teams. I don’t care. As long as I get on the field, you know.”
FinestPreps.com: What do you think is gonna be the biggest deciding factor for you Brian in terms of choosing a school. What are the biggest factors you’re gonna be looking at?
Brian Nance: “Where I can get my education, that’s important to my family. If I can get four years there–even if I get injured or not–if I can get four years there, graduate with a diploma, a lot of it has to do with environment too–where I’m staying. Me being from the city, I like to be around a lot of people and I’m not really a country boy. I like to be out a lot, just travel, and look around. I like being out.”
FinestPreps.com: You like the bright lights of the city, huh?
Brian Nance: “Yeah.”
FinestPreps.com: What do you feel like is the biggest thing you’re trying to improve on as a football player, Brian–heading into next season?
Brian Nance: “Well I’m improving on a lot of stuff. I’ve been gaining weight and I’ve got a lot of strength. Basically I just want to improve on technique. You’ve always got to improve on your game somewhere and mine is technique. That’s all the game is about nowadays is technique–going up to each level–from college to the NFL it’s all about technique. Getting off your blocks fast, reading more. Mine is just pretty much technique. I know where the ball is at at all times–it’s just getting off of the player and getting to the tackle.”
FinestPreps.com: I saw your stats. You had 174 tackles last year?
Brian Nance: “Yeah. I could’ve had more but when the game gets toward the end they start subbing. We subbed early because a lot of teams we blew out (laughs). We subbed early so I would kind of sit out half of the games that we blew out teams. We wanted other people to play too.”
FinestPreps.com: Brian–describe the atmosphere surrounding Texas high school football for those of us that have never really gotten the chance to be in that atmosphere before.
Brian Nance: “Man–it’s crazy, real crazy. The fans are off-the-wall. They shut the town down. When every Friday night comes up–they just shut everything down–the whole town. The football style is smash mouth. You have teams that can throw. You’ve got high school kids that look like college players already. It’s a fun place to play man. Texas is all about football.”
FinestPreps.com: Who’s your favorite football player of all-time, Brian?
Brian Nance: “I’d probably say Lawrence Taylor.”
FinestPreps.com: Why LT?
Brian Nance: “We play alike. We think alike. He’s cocky. Well you know how his attitude is on the field. He had a good attitude on the field and off-the-field. I decided him and Ray Lewis. I like both of them. But I pretty much prefer Lawrence Taylor though. I like his attitude on and off-the-field. The way he played the game is just he was always going to the ball. He always wanted to go to the ball.”
FinestPreps.com: Brian what do you think of Mark Ingram being on the cover of the new NCAA Football?
Brian Nance: “Oh, I didn’t even know that. (Laughs) That’s my first time hearing that. I’m gonna go look at it but it’s nice. He deserved it. He went through a lot of stuff–on and off-the-field. He definitely deserved it–won a Heisman, won the National Championship. He had a good year his junior year, sophomore year, and everything else. I think he deserved it. It’s nice though. I can’t wait to see it. I’m gonna go look at it.”
Keep it locked to FinestPreps.com for more on the recruiting process of the Texas sensation!
Wade Peery is the senior writer for FinestPreps.com. He can be reached by e-mail at wadepeery@yahoo.com. All comments and feedback are welcome.
Check out the junior highlights of Brian Nance below–courtesy of 247sports.com!