Years before he became Rockwall’s starting quarterback and one of the most productive passers in the state, Braedyn Locke was an elementary schooler in the Dallas area who developed a tradition with his dad.
Each year, they attended a couple of big-time high school football games. That’s how Locke came to be in the stands watching Allen phenom Kyler Murray’s strong arm, elusive speed and fashionable flair.
Locke wasn’t the only young spectator in awe.
Murray hasn’t played Texas high school football in six years, but seeds of his brilliance, confidence and success are still rooted in the Dallas area.
As Murray comes home this week, leading his Cardinals against the Cowboys in the AT&T Stadium he won three straight state championships, he’ll also be returning to an area where scores of current high school quarterbacks grew up during the Age of Kyler Murray and consider him their biggest influence.
“It’s one of those things I don’t think you realize what you’re experiencing until later on,” Locke said. “It’s crazy to see him now and think he was doing what all of us are trying to do now.”
From 2012 to 2014, Murray was 42-0 as a starter and led Allen to three state championships in the UIL’s highest classification and to national powerhouse status.
His offensive coordinator, Jeff Fleener, knew Allen had a passionate following. But it wasn’t until Fleener became the head coach at San Antonio Brandeis in 2015 that he appreciated the enormity.
At a basketball game soon after Fleener’s hiring, Roel Sanchez, quarterback of rival San Antonio O’Connor, introduced himself to Fleener and said he and his dad had driven to Dallas multiple times just to watch Murray. Sanchez asked for insight about Murray’s work ethic.
Fleener’s first thought was a joke: “Well, how he prepared was he was just a ridiculously good athlete, and I made sure he got on the bus.”
But similar conversations with others in San Antonio soon underscored Murray’s reach and significance.
“For us, it was just ‘Hey, that’s Kyler, he’s our quarterback, a great player and all that stuff,’” said Fleener, now head coach at Mesquite. “It was hard to understand until much later that he was almost a rockstar phenomenon.”
+++
Subscribe now and get 1 month free with the code: CALLIEC
Sign up for our FREE HS newsletter
+++
The Dallas Morning News surveyed 15 Dallas-area quarterbacks — all currently playing for schools in different parts of the Metroplex, in different classifications and in different grades — and each said they either attended Murray’s Allen games or watched replays on TV and YouTube.
Rockwall-Heath junior quarterback Josh Hoover went to each of Murray’s state championships with his dad.
DeSoto senior quarterback Samari Collier was in the stands for the 2014 state semifinals when Murray turned Allen’s 18-point, second-half deficit into an 18-point win over Skyline.
Midlothian Heritage senior quarterback Daelin Rader wears No. 1 because of Murray.
Murray’s high school statistics — 10,386 passing yards, 4,139 rushing yards and 186 total touchdowns — and his slew of state and national awards make him what many consider to be the best high school football player in Texas history.
He then ...
- dazzled at Oklahoma as a Heisman Trophy winner and College Football Playoff qualifier
- became the 2019 No. 1 overall NFL draft pick a year after the Oakland Athletics selected him top 10 in the MLB draft
- and has emerged as one of the NFL’s most promising young players as the Cardinals shape their roster around his dual-threat talent.
Beyond his speed, agility and winning expectation, young fans also noticed Murray’s style.
Arlington quarterback Kris Sims attended the 2014 state semifinal against Skyline with his dad, uncle and best friend. As Murray many times escaped the pocket and rushed past defenders, Sims became fascinated with Murray’s shiny gold cleats.
When he needs inspiration for matching his game-day accessories to Rockwall’s uniforms, Locke still consults pictures of Murray.
Fleener said Murray would often change shoes at halftime. Once, Murray convinced former Allen coach Tom Westerberg to allow him to wear bright blue socks showcasing a Drake album cover with neon yellow cleats during a game.
Now at Mesquite, Fleener recognizes his players also want to express their individual style despite the sport’s team focus.
“For a long time, high school coaches were: ‘Nobody gets to wear something different,’” Fleener said. “I think they’ve just seen at a program like Allen, if Kyler was a great football player and always came ready to play, and he had a sleeve, band and towel, [then] kids can wear that and still play well.”
Murray’s mechanics endure, too.
His dad, Kevin, was essential to Murray’s rise and is still a private quarterback trainer in the area whom many newcomers flock to for instruction.
As Flower Mound junior quarterback Nick Evers became serious about playing quarterback in middle school, many recommended he work with Kevin. Evers has now trained one-on-one with Kevin nearly every offseason Saturday since seventh grade.
Once every few months, Evers' sessions will have an additional participant: Kyler himself.
“Very rarely, if that, do you ever see him miss a ball or have a bad ball,” Evers said. “Everything’s just right on target, his feet are under him and his base is just crazy. He can throw off many different platforms. I could just watch it for days.”
Locke’s admiration has evolved into detailed analyses of Murray’s vision, footwork and mid-play decisions while watching his Allen and Oklahoma games on YouTube during his free time.
Locke’s preparation helps him remain even-keeled on the field, but one moment last year disrupted his control.
During Rockwall’s second-round playoff game against Allen last November, the AT&T Stadium jumbotron showed Murray on the sideline during the contest. Locke “almost lost it.”
“It was freaking awesome,” Locke said. “You see that, and it’s like ‘Holy cow.’ You just, like, forget what you’re doing for a second.”
But like Locke had watched Murray do on the same field seven years earlier, he re-focused, passed for over 400 yards and six touchdowns and finished a massive win as part of Rockwall’s historic playoff run.
“He really helped me in a way just to develop dreams,” Locke said, “to be out there and be on the field and be in that spotlight.”
Related reading — The Best I Ever Saw: Local media, coaches talk about the best TXHSFB players they’ve ever seen
Top of the class
Kyler Murray was the third-ranked quarterback recruit in the Class of 2015, according to 247’s composite ranking. A look back at where the top five QBs landed:
- 1. Josh Rosen
- Hometown: Bellflower, Calif.
- Signed with, attended UCLA
- Taken No. 10 overall to Arizona in the 2018 NFL draft
- 2. Blake Barnett
- Hometown: Corona, Calif.
- Signed with Alabama, transferred to Arizona State and then USF
- Undrafted
- 3. Kyler Murray
- Hometown: Allen
- Signed with Texas A&M, transferred to Oklahoma
- No. 1 overall to Arizona in the 2019 NFL draft
- 4. Jarrett Stidham
- Hometown: Stephenville
- Signed with Baylor, transferred to Auburn
- No. 133 overall to New England in the 2019 NFL draft
- 5. Brandon Wimbush
- Hometown: Jersey City, N.J.
- Signed with Notre Dame, transferred to UCF
- Undrafted
Next in line?
Murray is an inspiration to many young quarterbacks nationwide, but especially in Texas. Here’s a look at the top 10 Texas quarterbacks in the Class of 2021, according to 247’s composite rankings:
| Rank, player | School | Commitment status |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Jalen Milroe | Katy Taylor | Committed to Alabama |
| 2. Garrett Nussmeier | Flower Mound Marcus | Committed to LSU |
| 3. Preston Stone | Parish Episcopal | Committed to SMU |
| 4. Sawyer Robertson | Lubbock Coronado | Committed to Mississippi State |
| 5. Eli Stowers | Denton Guyer | Committed to Texas A&M |
| 6. Behren Morton | Eastland | Committed to Texas Tech |
| 7. Kaidon Salter | Cedar Hill | Committed to Tennessee |
| 8. Dematrius Davis | Galena Park North Shore | Committed to Auburn |
| 9. Shedeur Sanders | TC-Cedar Hill | Committed to Florida Atlantic |
| 10. Kyron Drones | Alvin Shadow Creek | Committed to Baylor |
+
Find more high school sports stories from The Dallas Morning News here.
To view subscription options for The News and SportsDay, click here.
