Deondrae Riden Jr., a two-time Class 6A Division II state champion with more than 3,000 career rushing yards, didn’t always love football.
When the DeSoto running back was about 4 years old, his father, Deondrae Riden Sr., signed him up for flag football. But after just a few months, Riden quit. The conditioning from his youth coach was more than he could handle.
It wasn’t until a year later, playing backyard football with his cousin Jordan Hudson — now a wide receiver at SMU — that “Tiger” Riden realized what he was missing.
“We were just throwing the football around,” Riden recalled. “Jordan was older, already making a name for himself in football. He persuaded me to get back into it.”
From that moment, the path that led Riden to commit to Texas A&M was set. He’s since worked with personal trainers to fine-tune his mechanics and maintain flexibility and has even collaborated with a recovery specialist to reduce postgame soreness. This season, he’s rushed for 782 yards and 11 touchdowns on 116 carries.
“He’s so unselfish,” DeSoto coach Claude Mathis said. “It’s unbelievable. But when the lights are on, and I look at him, and he looks at me, he knows what that means, and he always looks at me and says, ‘Got you, Coach. It’s gonna be alright, Coach, I got it. I’m ready, Coach.’”
After DeSoto couldn’t upset Duncanville in back-to-back seasons, losing 42-20 in Week 7, Riden helped the team bounce back in a 65-24 victory against Mesquite Horn last Friday. He had 114 yards and three touchdowns on 16 carries.
This week, Riden will look to help DeSoto, The News’ third-ranked team, continue its momentum against Cedar Hill.
Working to be the best
When Riden was about 6 years old, his father signed him up for a spring football league to prepare him for tackle football. After a few practices, the young Riden started to complain that his head hurt. Unsure whether his son was indeed committed, Riden Sr. came up with a plan: He decided to wait and see if his son would remind him when it was time to leave for practice.
The next evening, Riden approached his dad and said, “We’re going to be late.” From that moment on, Riden Sr. knew his son was serious, and he decided to invest in his football journey.
He bought training equipment — everything from ladders to resistance bands — and the father-son duo trained three to four times a week. As the years passed, their routine became a staple, and Riden Sr. began training some of his son’s friends and cousins, turning their sessions into a family affair.
“We’d just go to the park or a school and get to work,” Riden Sr. said. “We did ladder drills, and I had a sandbag I’d tie around their waists. They’d run with it. I did that with him, Jordan, and my other nephew.”
When Riden started playing tackle football, his father began recording every game. They’d watch the film together, with Riden Sr. offering tips on how to improve. Despite being involved in his son’s progress, Riden Sr. chose not to coach him formally, believing in the value of learning from different coaches.
As Riden’s talent grew, so did the opportunities. He was invited to join travel teams such as the DFW Elite Dawgs, which played games in other states, such as Florida and California — trips Riden Sr. never missed.
“Some of my favorite memories are traveling to different places with him,” Riden Sr. said. “Back when I was younger, we didn’t get to do things like that. So, just going to Florida, sitting on the beach, even the bus rides. It’s those moments.”
Those moments paid off when Riden committed to Texas A&M this year. He said the program treated him like family, and he’s excited to join coach Mike Elko, whose team is (6-1, 4-0 SEC) and ranked 14th this season.
Riden plans to graduate early from DeSoto and head to College Station soon after the season ends, becoming the first man in his immediate family to attend college. His sister is a Prairie View A&M graduate.
While proud of his son’s accomplishments, Riden Sr. admits the reality of having only a few months left with him is bittersweet.
“It’s overwhelming because I’m just so happy for the kid,” he said. “He’s worked hard, and he’s a great kid. It’s not even about football. I just want him to go out and be something great.”
Twitter/X: @ronharrodjr
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