Hammond Central’s Davion Terry stands as a prime example of effort meeting opportunity to equal success.
A lot of success.
The 5-foot-8 junior spent the offseason getting bigger, stronger and faster. He bulked up from a little more than 160 pounds last season to almost 175. So when he was installed as the Wolves’ starting tailback, he was ready.
“I knew I had it,” Terry said. “I knew I had the ability since last year. I just felt like I needed that opportunity, and now I’ve been given that opportunity so I can show my ability.”
Terry, who celebrated his birthday Monday, has rushed for 720 yards and four touchdowns for Hammond Central (2-2). His lowest total was 158 yards against T.F. South, and he has a high of 198 yards against Griffith.
As a wingback last season, Terry showed glimpses with 374 yards and three TDs. He was the Wolves’ No. 2 rusher behind Dashawn Woods, who transferred to Morton ahead of his senior season.
When that door opened, Terry sprinted through it.
“He is the strength of our offense,” Hammond Central senior linebacker Giovani Bailey-Hannah said. “He keeps us going even when the rest of the team is struggling, and that’s not just because he’s a good player. He also just loves this game and plays with all his heart. He loves everything about football, and he puts his all into the game. That’s why he is one of the leaders on this team.”
Terry was quick to praise the Wolves’ offensive line, which has four sophomores and two juniors, including tight end.
“Everybody is young,” he said. “We have no seniors on the O-line. We have a young line, but from where we came from to where we are now, we’ve progressed a lot — a lot — and I feel like we’re going to continue to progress and get better over the season.”
Terry’s production hasn’t surprised Hammond Central coach Adam Hudak, who said before the season that he “will turn some heads this year carrying the ball.”
Terry also has seven tackles as a safety. He hadn’t played much defense before this season.
“By the time the end of the year comes, he probably won’t be leaving the field at all,” Hudak said.
Terry said he has been “waking up in the morning before school to do cardio” to handle the workload.
“Playing both sides of the ball, it’s a lot of pressure,” he said. “I will say that. It is a lot of pressure. But I’ve been putting in a lot of extra work. I’m just going to continue to work and help my team get wins.”
Terry is the lone junior among the Wolves’ captains.
“He brings the energy and the momentum for us to keep rolling,” Hammond Central senior wide receiver Gregory Dotson said. “He’s a smart player and knows a lot about football. He is the key to the Hammond Central football team.”
Terry takes that role seriously.
“This year, it’s a lot of positivity,” he said. “Everybody’s uplifting each other when we make bad plays and even when we make good plays. We all just come together as a family.
“I tell my players every day, ‘You can be great. Keep your head on a swivel. You’re going to go places.’ It’s been great so far. We have great team chemistry.”
Terry didn’t begin high school at Hammond Central but fit in quickly. He moved from Atlanta for the second semester of his freshman year after living in Chicago for most of his first 11 years.
“It’s been good since I’ve been out here,” Terry said. “I still miss some of my family down there. But overall it’s been great out here. I’m glad I moved out here because I’ve been given an opportunity to show my skills and potential.”
That includes track, a sport that Hudak also coaches. As a freshman, Terry was part of Hammond Central’s 400-meter and 1,600-meter relay teams that advanced to regionals. Last season, he and the Wolves won sectional titles and finished fourth in regionals in both events, narrowly missing out on the state meet.
“I want to thank Hudak because where I came from and when I first came here, I’ve done nothing but get better and better and better in everything,” Terry said. “Now he’s given me that opportunity to really shine. He’s giving me the ball a ton, and I can really show what I can do with the ball.”
Hudak holds Terry in high regard.
“He’s a great kid, and he’s a hard worker,” Hudak said. “I could tell in track, when we were doing 400s, he was giving everything I ask of him. Track’s a sport where you have to dig deep, and he was doing it. I could tell he could be our featured back too.
“He’s just a great teammate. He’s a great captain.”
