EPISODE II- 4QM PODSCAST: U. Of H FRESHMAN TE Traville Frederick Jr.

welcome to episode two of the four quarter mentality podcast tonight we have University of Houston true freshman tight end Frederick Jr on the show yo what's up y'all hey go sir this Saturday TC you gonna be rocking man bro y'all gotta come out and see a game bro it's gonna be lit this season yes sir let everyone know what city and state you're from I'm from Jed Louisiana you know small town but big things come out of it man it just hey you dreaming you take care of it bro yes sir today today started a a holiday for everyone High School football college football which what you think about today in this weekend man it's exciting weekend bro like the whole weekend starting today is the exciting weekend all me it's just you see so many things throughout the seasons you know and it's one thing watching it but being able to be a part of it is the is the is the biggest part like it's real exciting it's real exciting to be able to be a part of college football yes indeed yes indeed let's start off with how did you get the nickname Turtle okay so look mom's this how this how Mom put the story okay yeah she okay early on into the pregnancy she went in for ultrasound and you know the doctors told her my embryo look like a turtle so I don't know why she stuck with it but she stuck with it and um yeah that that name I I lived up to it too but that name came from the Woodworks out of nowhere a ultrasound ultra sound yeah man that's that's great uh your very first football experience was in flag at 6 years old um with the bills and then at seven years old playing for Coach Willie um with the Broncos tackle football in Newber Louisiana y'all played in the uh million Paris Football League talk about that experience man it it it it groomed me in a way um okay not going to lie I was a BAS player at that time to be honest I was a baseball player and I it it came out of nowhere football came out of nowhere for real you could ask Mom you can ask coach Willie you could ask everybody who coached me who was around me I used to quit every weekend my dad was on nights I used to quit football every week and my dad was on nights and uh yeah I was just I I wanted baseball baseball baseball but at the same time my dad pushed me to play you know playing for that program it it groomed a lot of stars coming up yes sir yes sir got that start and that's what that's what it's all about how was it growing up in generet Louisiana a town that roughly has a population of 4,500 people um generet it's like you say it's a real small town there not not much to do um the best thing you could do is get out of it honestly the best thing you could do is get out of it you don't want to you don't want to stay nowhere where it just you don't have any progress you know being able being able to have the opportunities I had and going from state to state all around the country seeing these different perspectives of life knowing what I could get out of it why why would I want to stay somewhere that doesn't have anything in store for me yes sir yes sir and what role did your parents play in shaping your path for football the biggest oh man just life life and sports you know at one point at at one point I was one of those kids where you know I just thoughted all would just come naturally because of talent and you know just one of those not taking it serious not not seeing a real future and mom and dad always push me you know getting on my behind you know just being hard and that's they they had to do that even though they might not have liked it or I might not have liked it they they did what they had to do and they grw me into they grew me into the man into the man I dreamed of being and I'm still not a complete man yet but as a child I dreamed of being like my father I dreamed of having you know person a personality personality like my mom and that's just that's that's who I was raised to be respectful you know do things the right way don't take anything for granted go how how them being hard them being tough on you like how did that get you to where you at right now it it gave me a motivation it it it gave me that that that fire up under my behind to to to make me you know tap into a mode I never knew I had and that that's one thing about parents they could push it to a limit you never knew you had is different than other you know random people or just a coach for example some coaches can't can't put put a fire up under kids Behind like their parents can and that's that's one that's one thing I see my father had yes sir so so generet you from jet Louisiana you go to Middle School at BPL tell me how did that come about uh you know just looking for better opportunities at at that time you know generet wasn't in the best state Mom Mom and Dad agreed on let me go to Bell play uh I went there for seventh grade year got to know Coach Frank and the the rest of the staff that's why I met Cullen uh Cullen Harvey who else it was a couple of players I went to uh Andre he goes to Westgate it was it was a couple of players that are doing well now that I met over there and I would have never met him if it wasn't for that decision you know made great friends with them but it really came about because J wasn't in the best state it wasn't it wasn't the best opportunity for me to make make worth of myself yes sir so growing growing up Anderson Middle was always the the PowerHouse basketball and football and I seen uh Coach Frank and Coach Davis turn the corner with that program and they run it just like a high school program talk about Coach Frank uh and Coach Davis one one one thing about them their their detail that's why we that's why w a lot at Bell place it's very detailed you know you going to do things the right way you and you going to do it hard no Hissy Fits you know you get mad hey you got to lap man you got to go you feel me because it we don't need that around we don't need that around the team we played as a team so my my my early experiences with you was in a seventh grade at Bell place I remember turtle with the glasses turtle with the the goggles no control goggles no control of his control of his body and I remember your daddy was on you hard he was he was pushing you hard and I never seen you Flinch never seen you Flinch I would see you go out there and work hard and just grind grind grind grind grind and sometimes I even thought like just to myself like man he man he riding him hard riding him tough but I you into a great young man a lot of people see it from the outside and um you know but the relationship me and my dad have it it's a deep love and nothing could come between it we have our arguments we have our rough times man but that's my father and as much as he is a father to me I I never had a big brother so he he embraced being my father slash big brother and that's that that's one thing I appreciate cuz because I never I never had to have I never had that person I'm I'm the oldest so I got two little sisters I I got looking up to me um you know I just want to set an example and my dad set that example for me um he really he really did he went out of his way multiple times you know to show me the right way yes sir and how many how was the success at at Bel place um how many games did y'all win did y went Parish how was that experience we went we went undefeated we we won we won it all um that year and then the next year I think they lost we that was that was our threee year whenever I was there seven seventh grade year we that was our three p year um it was exciting you know I played against generet um I I played fast forward fast forward you go back home to generet how did that come about uh coach coach CC Paul man he he came came back home he was at Franklin for some years uh he came came back home bro you know Dad played for him dad wanted me to experience you know being being under his leadership one of the best things that ever happened um I I I went back in 8th grade I got hurt in a in a VAR scrimmage I was you know working my way in as a as a young bug and I got hurt lacerated my kidney gra grateful laceration that was the that was a setback to remember but I don't think it was my hardest my hardest setback and at that time did you know like football is something that I want to do at that time that thought actually came while I was on injury on injury reserve if you want to call it that you know it's like it wasn't the injury that did it to me it was just it put a it put a spark of violence in me I I never thought I had and I just stuck with that ever since um you know just being able to hang around you know take my frustration out the frustration that I have that I have throughout the week on Fridays you can take that out and it's it's legal yes sir legal violence on the football field that let's talk about a a controversial uh subject um seven on seven seven on seven and training um experiences a lot of High School coaches some of of them well now they're starting to they starting to uh get they starting to get with it uh but talk about uh 7 on7 what it done for you your experience with seven on seven and how it can help other student athletes that's coming up that can take the path that you took seven on seven really put put things into perspective for me um you know playing under you we went we went a lot of places and you bought me along on a journey to see you know what what top talent look like the work it take to get there you know we we train hours and hours and hours and hours and hours like that's just that's just what we did cuz I once I seen where it could bring you what it took to do it I was just I had a set mind say you know I'm GNA do this and U that that's what I appreciate you you seen things in me I ain't seen them myself you push me you push me to bring bring the best out of myself honestly between you coach Steve my father my mother y'all y'all made me bring the best out of myself and once I seeing what I could what I could do it was like man it's time to polish this up you know it's time to time to go crazy time to be elite yeah you you're a true definition of what development could actually doing working hard never seen you Flinch never seen you talk back did everything that we asked you and I coached you hard I expected you to make those plays because I believe in you put the work in and you just kept on kept on grinding um let's get into uh the recruiting process when did you when you got to high school when did you know that I want to go to college and play college football after those visitors during the summer 707 uh going going on my going on my first visits you know it wasn't it wasn't anything um about you know me being me being a recruit there there to see it was just you know you bringing me along seeing that uh seeing what I could have down the road just tell showing me what life what life could bring don't be stuck up in one place get out yeah it's good to see it's often times like for me I couldn't go on no Vacations or anything like that so when I got older playing ball and stuff that's how I was able to travel and see different things then you get to see it for yourself actually getting on campus and then also when you go to camps and stuff you get to get coached up by the staffs and know if it's a a great a great fit so how did your freshman how do you freshman and sopore year go at gener high school um freshman year started off kind of slow um I still had a little had a little scariness to me just normal normal freshman Jettas I made a couple plays um sophomore started to turn it up started to turn it up I um I I came out real well you know under coach the Simon coach Steve uh under the staff at generet coach C CC Paul I played almost every phase in high school and all of that helped me with different things they encouraged us to play multiple Sports I played basketball sophomore year sop freshman sophomore junior year no no no no I didn't play freshman year I played sophomore and junior year um I played basketball that helped with my footwork a lot uh besides training footwork you know hitting ladders and stuff basketball helped me with blocking uh coach Z man the best best person to learn how to block from man [ __ ] punch and extend bro you can't forget it uh coach Steve you know skill skill development skill development man y'all y'all y'all two very close you know y'all got similar teaching styles and it's it it's great to have that in both places um but so freshman sophomore year was kind of slow uh turned up a little bit sophomore but junior year junior year is where we what what we establish who we were yes sir so talk about the toughness that Co Simon was the head coach when when I was in high school and those teams were some tough teams we we were in the district uh together uh battling back then but talk about the toughness that he brings to a program and he's a he's one of the he's one of the goats man I can't say enough about him bro like even in the weight room violence you know on the field violence and it it it's not the violence where just being ignorant n man you control violence yes sir control that's he preached it he preached it off the field you could be a gentle giant bro but when when it's time when it's time though hit somebody or you know do your job man do it with violence so fast forward April 21st 2022 current defensive coordinator of Texas State and one of the up and cominging top recruiters and defens of Mind coach Dexter my while he was at iny word iny word gave me how feel about how did you feel about that how was that phone call that phone call B chills through my body like you know being a getting that getting that first opportunity is different because there so much appreciation within it it's like you he he he believed in my ability to be able to play college football he he offered me a scholarship to play at a Carney word and that was my first scholarship it was I I walked in the house I said mom Mom D guess what he off of me he off of me man I'm I'm I'm yelling man and uh tears came out my eyes that day bro cuz it was it was a lot of hard work went into it and um just I I appreciated it so much even if it was even if it was the only thing I had I wasn't G to stop working yes sir how how did how did your parents react to it how did your your sisters little sisters react to it they were when I they was more hyp they was more hype than me like I was I I was between I was between hype and you know just shock like I really just got an opportunity to play college football you know can't can't can't can't mess this up you know I immediately go into a m where it's time Grind Time it ain't nothing nothing less so you did the opposite can do two things it can make you feel bigheaded and then the work becomes less because I've seen that happen before or to turn on that switch like now I'm the dude that people gonna be going at so I got to have that chip on my shoulder I got to be tight on everything I gotta have my stuff together so January 19th 2023 that was the next time after April 21st 2022 you got your second offer from Troy that was a big gap did anything set up did anything like set in or he wasn't he wasn't concerned about being being not necessarily uh not concerned about being recruited or were you like nervous or anything uh it was still early on in my going into my junior year so in some way I was concerned because given your junior year of high school is one of the most important years in in the football World um man it was it was some some concern and some concern it was some concern and I didn't have a concern at the same time because it was you know we we still got J year to put film put film up yes sir and for that coming before before the season it gave it gave me a spark it for sure gave me a spark cuz now I now now I got to be held up to that standard so it's January 28th right before the the seniors last uh signing date but it's January 28 first School in Louisiana decided to pull a trigger too late Green Wave now we all know the success that tane uh has been having uh under coach Fritz and it's going to continue uh going on talk about being offered by Tan in state in New Orleans that that was that was just man the the thing about it is I got offered at the school at T Lane I went watch you know and I'm not I'm not gonna lie it felt like home for my for my first two visits I committed quick uh like maybe on my second or third visit I I told Coach man this it's it's no doubt I want I want to be here um March exact Yeah March 4th March 4th be exact you committed to to L man that was that was one of the best days of my life because I just I just had a good feeling you know this is where I want to be I feel I I I feel a I feel a comfortableness here um within the system with the coaching staff you know loved all the coaches especially coach Fritz man he interacts with everybody that's that's what I love about him man he he's not going to hold back he going to tell you the cold hearted truth too he's going to tell you the cold hearted truth and I um I appreciated that and not not only the offer just the ability to be able to commit myself to that school got you fast forward spring evaluation period you committed to two lane uh as we as we stated on on March the 4th here come April 10th Here Comes April 10th the big dog showing up oh power five at the time Bama I remember you in the gray Bama t-shirt talk about going to Bama when you was young at a camp and then the experience how that felt how did that feel when you got offered by big bad B man going to Bama as a baby uh Young Buck man I I didn't I didn't really understand what the SEC was like until I got in the environment and you don't really understand that until you get in the environment like power five football is a different level Now power four but man it was when that came around and Nick SA is my mom's favorite coach that that's Mama's favorite coach I got a lot of Alabama fans uh in my family but just that opportunity to be recognized by Nick Sav and that staff it was it it was something I'll never forget um for like for real I had a realization of what the hell is going on bro like fers going off my head like man what is going on what did I do right that was my question big things come like that explain to us that experience with coing how did it happen where where was it did it happen in his office how did it come how did it come about it was at Spring practice I came down okay we we went down there I think it was that Friday we went down there then I came back up sat Saturday we went and then the next week me and mom went me Mom my nanny and my auntie we went and our white spring practice had had a great time and then practice ends and I finally get to talk to coach San I'm I I'm around the tights the whole time you know watching what they do um I finally get to talk to coach Savin and uh man when he told me that I had a offer from Alabama I don't I couldn't say nothing because it was like BR did Nick s just offer me [Applause] say just off me like that's a experience you don't that's the experience you you going to remember for the rest of your life man um and again the question came to my head what did I do right you always gonna have you know you always G to have your question when big things come around and the biggest question was what did I do right you know what what do I need to continue doing cuz cuz this is big Florida comes around the end of the end of April Florida comes around C beginning of May Texas A&M then Georgia Tech and then May 17 Mississippi State uh coach coach napia at Louisiana at UL Lafayette did an amazing job like recruiting guys that some people thought that shouldn't have been at uh at at UL ul's a great program but because his like he's big on culture and great recruiter it it was amazing job that he did during that time while at at UL AFC and that helped him get that opportunity to be a sec head coach at Florida talk about how you felt when you got that Florida Gator off because I know I know that your dad's favorite team yeah bro daddy is a daddy is a blue and orange ftic bro but man Co c r Cory Raymond you at LSU now you back at LSU you back home but man Co came to the school it was it was it was not too long after I had got Bama uh the next week he came down you know we chopped it up and man when when when he popped that on when when he popped that on me that I had an offer from Florida and I I went in my head I said Alabama Florida like I was like oh my God what like I I really didn't know what was going on it was it was a dream I was living in a dream yeah I was living in a dream man I was and then at at that point I was like man just keep doing what I'm doing it ain't no more question about what I'm doing right you just keep doing what I'm doing keep working so at that time you going you're going crazy you getting all these getting all the you getting offers now how did that change where did you start seeing like more people like started coming around or flocking towards you yeah yeah for sure um I was able to so I had A&M Florida Mississippi state Alabama um oh and I I actually took a visit to Oregon that that was the experience of a lifetime because Oregon is a dream school that that's the school where every every little boy dreams of you know dreams of being one day um man it was that was the experience to remember Eugene Eugene is a special place for sure but at that time it was with all of them flocking towards me I was still I was still committed to coach Fritz like I I was 100% with Coach frit still sometimes you know when things like that come around people have doubts in their mind but it was still no doubt that I wanted to play for Coach TR and I had an opportunity there a big opportunity I had opportunity to touch the field and the other the other part I was I was referring to was like people just people in general like oh like Lo locally people at school um when you when you know you know how it is when once you you start to Bubble you start oh start coming out the out the Woodworks how did you handle that I just continue to be myself just continue to be the turle everybody new not not changing my ways just just just going with the flow being me yes sir so you know what what I really respected normally I hear kids say all the time once they got offered by a kid once they got once they get offered by school I don't have to camp at that school you went and camped at those schools you went to Camp you went to Camp when when most kids think they don't have nothing to play for when actually you do have something to play for oh competitor you're a competitor you want to be the best you got all these other dudes I know you still had a chip on your shoulder because they had other tight ends for sure in front of you I want I wanted that Uno man that's I got I I I strive to get uno number one one number one rated tight end that's what that's what I wanted uh unfortunately it work out D but still like I still got a chance to be the best tight end in college football yes sir also now let's let's get into how does it feel being that Cornerstone athlete at gener senior high high school underneath the current coaching staff that they have there um you know most people would say you know it was a lot of weight on it it would be a lot of weight on somebody's shoulders it was more of just setting set an example you know you don't got to do everything yourself just set the example of what it means to be great and then that once everybody fall in line is then at that point it's a team it's a team you you got to take that leadership role naturally it's not something you you should force I don't I don't think with with the kids that were there the way we built that program it was incredible people didn't think gener could be where they are today like they on the map they on the map right now and you you were one of the athletes that laid that Foundation I remember it was hard to even get guys to have a you had to take the middle school kids in order to actually have a practice now all those kids love football they want to put in extra work they're working on their and now you see they didn't turn they didn't turn the corner turn the corner next step is trying to get on that carpet in in wans but let's talk about going into your your senior year how it played out and your last your last then uh get into uh your thoughts after your last High School game um it was it was more of maybe maybe a day or two is like damn this really over but then you know you get back into that mindset it's time to turn it up a night college right there like it's time it's time to turn it up another level cuz ain't no Ain ain't nobody relaxing nobody relaxing them days you taking off somebody out working you and that's that's what I live by so how what type of success you had your senior year and how far did y'all how far did y'all go we was able to go we was able to go to the third round of the of the playoffs for the second time in history for the second like man that was incredible 10 and three 13 games 10 wins that was the year before we went six and four it was Mak it was making a turnaround you know we seen we seen a lot of progress but that last year my senior year it was it was just incredible to see the limits we the limits we could go to and that that was a big stage because people haven't seen it in a while out of generate they had they hadn't seen that in a while and we was just tapped into another mode how did the players handle that being inexperienced um playing against uh some squads that been in the playoffs and how did that play out for some for some it could be overwhelming the year before like I said we went six and four we got the chance to play a first round first round home game um so after that year you know the the expectation was J bugs out we go to the first round this year it's we we shouldn't have no nervousness No butterflies hey we going out there we going out there to kick ass that that was our Mel yes sir and fast forward fast forward December 8th 2023 got offered by the University of Houston getting close to signing date then 8 Days Later decommitting from two lane and then committing the University of Houston talk about how that happened with went into that let's talk about that process man coach Fritz the man with the plan you know he he he he made two land what it was and I I believe he could do he's going to do that here um that that was really the only thing going through my mind you know coach Fritz I want to I want to play for Coach Fritz and when he went to Houston so we're going Houston is power power five at that time and man it was it was it was it was no question that's amazing he he has uh the most uh upright uh work ethic and and character he's a he's a great man and he he raised some great uh young men West is one of the top up and cominging like Personnel guys like he does does his thing man that's my dog coach West they didn't got into the they didn't got into the boot heavy they didn't got into the boot heavy know he did know he did so I want to ask you uh how do you stay mentally and emotionally resilient during times of personal or professional criticism I think of my grandmother uh years back freshman year [Music] um found my grandmother dead yeah that was that was that was like I said uh Bell place that wasn't a that wasn't my hardest setback you know I struggled with the death of my grandma for for a good while I suffered in silence that was the worst thing I could have did um but then I I I learned how to how to be mentally strong you know think about think about what what she would want me to do she she wouldn't want me to to fade away or you know not Step Up When when I need to step up gotta so you are getting an opportunity to play as a freshman um you you truly didn't have a learning curve going into cuz um coach Steve like prepared you you were able to get on the board and draw your favorite concept talk about how important that is and that's something that I would say a lot of young student athletes are lacking when it comes can you get on that board and draw stuff up why are you in high school that's something that guys don't they go out there put them cones they get out there we want to post but talk about what that played how that played a part and where you at right now it shows them you know how to read a defense you you know the purpose behind the concept behind the play behind your assignment um I'm trying to remember which play it was it might have been drive we had I I drew up um you got a dig you got a shallow cross you you got routes that pull people to open up voids in the defense and if if if I could draw let me see something let me see if I remember this steeve first showed me that that driveing you put that mic in the B oh yeah that guy that guy expands he spray release and run that dig and then when you see that you see that shallow cross coming over he hit that dig right behind him smash on the back side let me see if I could drve this up another game smash drive we'll be in a we'll be in an empty Bunch set okay it would be an empty Buton set got smash okay I believe this it yes sir I'm about to DW the about to DW the D yes sir and why you drawing that up how do you balance the demand of college football with your personal life something that something that uh young student athletes need to know prior to going to college take care of the important things first make make sure everything that needs to be done is done and everything you want to do comes after let me see here we go that's a great that's a great approach okay this is for defenses with three three linebackers so you got this corner over here this is a high low if they playing two he's going to take this corner guess what the drive will go take that this is the window that's going to be open you got the Mike he's keying the back so the back here would be H so he's trying to run out here and you I got a Sam but it would most likely be a nickel he would be out here or more you know more up on the line um and then he got the other Corner backside he got to take he got flat responsibility it's cover to Cloud yes sir um this guy is on outside the hash over here and you know this this Arc this Arc dig right here this is this is setting this mic back up right here that's what's going to set him up if he bumps here with this with this drive also with the wheel this the this the window that's open you go rip it through if he stays and his will backer goes out this the window that's going to be open if this free safety stays towards the middle of the field Corner wide open if the will and Mike drop off on this on this uh running back here you check down if the corner goes High check down it's a lot of different things that could go into it yeah you really you really just setting people up for you honestly how do you stay humble and grounded with the fame and success that comes with being a powerful athlete just know I'm not the best you know uh I'm I'm not going to say no I'm not the best cuz in my mind yes I'm the Best But realize realize you can't get out work like um it's a lot that goes into it as a college as a college athlete it's a lot of development some people's development comes quicker than others but just just know somebody's trying to out grind you at all times and I'm I'm I'm I'm never going to say I better or uh he's not this because at the end of the day everybody puts in the work they need to to get there and I I just believe in I believe in helping the next man but also stand on your grind tell every tell everyone what they can find you Saturday Saturday I can find me in tdcu 6:05 pm. turn up man we play the UNL V Running Rebels man it's about to get Wicked bro for real if they want to keep up with you if the viewers want to keep up with you on social media how can they keep up with um y'all can follow my Instagram at T.F fred7 um my Facebook traville frie Jr and that would be it you going wear this 85 it's on the signature if y'all want it y'all can get it before we let you go got a couple of uh questions I want to ask you um any advice for upand cominging student athletes I got a lot I I got a lot of advice man just don't come in don't don't come in thinking it's sweet you know coaches treat co co coaches gonna butter you up man on them on them recruit and visits and just you know visitors in general they going they going to butter you up bro when when you real in here when you want the F you make mistakes they going to rip your yeah they they gonna get on you and that's uh with that don't take it personally at all man I love my coaches to debt bro like and they get on my ass whenever I mess up they they get on my ass but I don't never I never take criticism personally because I know always got somewhere to improve um another thing I got to tell y'all play hard be physical physic physicality is so important in football man it's the most physical sport in the world like just bring a bring a sense of phys physicality you know set a tone for yourself do it for you Saturday night in the locker room what song You Listening To ji Breezy no name dropping hey bro like look that's just that's all you need when you when you trying to get into that killer mode you need killer s that's it I listen to straight killers before the game cuz he just put me in that mode like I'm trying I'm going out there wreck something man I just wanted to tell you that and I truly appreciate the hard work you put in your True Underdog Story I love Underdog stories and see how you persevere never flinched never talked back always took it and I'mma get better and just grinding grind grind grind grinding keep on grinding you got to work you got to work while you wait just you got to be patient at that time man I truly appreciate you coming on the show man I love you and wishing wishing you nothing but success this season yes sir I love you too coach and I appreciate you too man all the hard work we put in bro it's paying off yes sir man keep stay grinded man go get you some rest we we open up and D this weekend so we leave we leaving tomorrow so gonna turn up too for sure got yall good luck to y'all coach I love you salute good night salute love you too coach all right bro appreciate y'all appreciate you for having all right brother