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Last year, Little Cypress-Mauriceville’s Tucker Floyd put together one of the best defensive seasons in Southeast Texas football’s recent history. With 115 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, six sacks and an interception, the linebacker served as the heart and soul of the Bears’ defense.

A player of Floyd’s talent level would arguably be justified in fanning the flames of their own ego. Yet, the young man is quite the opposite of what one may expect from a superstar. He’s humble and comes across as down-to-earth as they get.

“I keep pushing myself as hard as I can for my team; my school; my family; my coaches,” Floyd said. “We just keep working harder and harder in the weight room, and everyone’s getting better together. I think as the atmosphere grows stronger, that’s going to help me play better as well.”

Notably, Dave Campbell’s Texas Football selected Floyd as the Preseason Defensive MVP for 4A-I DIstrict 10. The linebacker said the recognition is a big honor and gives him motivation to keep working at his craft.

Despite measuring in at a relatively undersized 5-foot-10, Floyd has no fear when he’s on the field. He said there’s zero room for intimidation and he loves the challenge of facing bigger competition.

Occasionally, being a bit smaller than opponents is actually beneficial. Floyd’s go-to pass-rush move is the “dip and rip” — according to the linebacker, you can never go wrong with dipping under an offensive lineman.

As for how he achieved such a high level of success, Floyd said consistency has always been the key.

“A lot of guys that are gifted when they’re younger in life think it’s gonna be easy when they get into high school, but it’s a grind every day,” Floyd said. “I’d be lying if I said some days I didn’t want to skip reps, but you gotta have that integrity that you’re going to give 100% even when you don’t feel like it.”

The work Floyd puts in establishes a solid foundation. As for what gets him prepared for game day, the answer is an uncommon one. Before each game, he retreats into a corner of LC-M’s fieldhouse to take his traditional pre-game nap.

Once fully rested and on the field, the senior’s competitive drive takes over. At the end of the day, though, Floyd said football is just a game — there are more meaningful things out there than the sport he plays.

He’s rooted in a strong Christian faith and views the locker room as a mission field.

“I try to help lead my friends to God and to Jesus,” Floyd said. “Ultimately that’s the most important thing. In the locker room, I try to be there for the guys if they need someone to talk to because I think everything is intentional.

“God doesn’t have accidents. Life doesn’t have accidents. Everything is set for a purpose. I think everywhere I’m put, God has something for me, and I think for my football team God is moving in incredible ways to pour himself out on our team.”

While many student-athletes are driven to compete at the next level, Floyd isn’t particularly interested in a college football career. Could he play at a Division I level? Absolutely, but he’d rather pursue school to serve his community as a doctor.