How 300-Pound, 14-Year-Old Tru Thompson Earned 1st CFB Scholarship Offer

There are cases where when a first name fits, it truly fits.

Introducing Tru Thompson. The next big thing. Literally, at 300 pounds and only 14 years old.

And the name, phonetically similar to his game, is true.

Last week, the young athlete from Griffin, Georgia, quickly made believers out of all of those older than him at a three-day Florida State camp. Thompson, a defensive tackle, competed with other defensive linemen and outshone a few offensive linemen in one-on-one drills—so much so that he left the camp with his first scholarship offer.

Never mind the fact that Thompson is a 2019 recruit. Forget that the babyfaced bruiser just finished his eighth-grade year a few days ago.

You should forget it, because the Florida State coaching staff did. It didn't take long for head coach Jimbo Fisher, defensive tackles coach Odell Haggins and the rest of the Seminoles staff to realize Thompson wasn't the typical incoming freshman.

"To me, it was all about having fun, but you do what you've got to do," Thompson said. "I kept that in mind: It was a business trip. I was there to work hard and show what I had."

"Odell asked me how old he was, and I told him 14. Then he asked what grade [Tru] was going into, and I said ninth," added Alton Thompson, Tru's father. "They continued working him in and having him go against guards, then centers, then guards again."

Florida State assistant coaches later told the Thompsons to make sure not to leave camp without meeting with Fisher first—always a good sign in the recruiting world.

T-R-U

The name Tru: different yet intriguing. Uncommon yet loaded with an aura of power. Alton Thompson said the idea of giving his son a unique name was always in his original plan.

"I wanted a unique name for him when he was in his mother's belly," Alton said. "I saw 'True' and said, 'Let's just drop the E.' My thoughts were if he ever became famous, he'd have a unique name."

As the rising freshman continues to get better and becomes more established as a name in college football recruiting, the elder Thompson's idea is working itself out. Few will forget the first name, and if all works as planned, few will forget how well he plays as a defensive tackle too.

Tru measured in at Florida State at 6'0" and 300 pounds. He ran the 40-yard dash in 5.1 seconds—faster than many linemen and some linebackers older than him. He had the measurables, particularly with his massive feet. Tru wears size 18 shoes.

"Jimbo made a comment about his feet," Alton said. "He asked if he went skiing with those things."

Testing often reveals a player's athleticism. Tru killed any skepticism when he lined up in drills against offensive linemen. Originally, he lined up against players his age, but when Haggins and Seminoles offensive line coach Rick Trickett watched him dominate, they decided to promote him to the older group.

"When he got put in with the big guys, Odell was impressed with what he saw," Alton Thompson said. "He would get his helmet knocked off and would still keep going. It didn't matter that his helmet was knocked off. I think they were impressed with his motor going against kids going to the 11th and 12th grade."

There was more to it, though. Tru showed explosiveness, quickness and athleticism for a guy his size. He offered a Jekyll-and-Hyde approach where he'd be the mild-mannered athlete away from drills but the overly determined competitor with ice in his veins during the action. Not once did the spotlight get too big for him, something the coaches loved to see.

"I really wasn't that nervous," Tru said. "If anything, I was amazed at the indoor facility. I was just looking at it. I'd never been there before, and [Florida State] is one of my favorite schools.

"I just kept saying that I've done this before; it's just football. It doesn't matter what age you are. I know I'll be playing against seniors next year. I know some of those guys are really tough."

And Tru showed he was just as tough. He also received an unforgettable compliment.

"Odell told me, 'I'm not retiring until I get to coach him,'" Alton said.

Credit: Alton Thompson

Improving with YouTube

When he's not playing football, Thompson likes to read, play video games and hang out with friends. At 14 years old, however, he may have found the secret to success for the good of his future.

He's the kind of player who is a learn-on-the-job individual, but when he's away from the field, he uses social media to his advantage.

While players his age are using YouTube to watch funny videos or post video selfies, Thompson is finding videos of professional athletes and using those as instructional videos for improving his technique and speed. Thompson said he's viewed videos of some of the best NFL defensive tackles, including Ndamukong Suh (Miami Dolphins), Gerald McCoy (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), Geno Atkins (Cincinnati Bengals) and others.

"If I really want to get in extra study time or if a coach taught me something in practice that I'm not getting, I'll try to find the videos so I can slow it down for myself," Thompson said. "I look at a lot of D-tackles. Sometimes, passing drills are good to look at with D-ends, too. You learn quickness off the ball; a lot of D-ends are good pass-rushers."

Using social media for personal improvement may come off as refreshing to some, but for Alton Thompson, it isn't anything new. As the son of educators, Tru has been taught to use his resources to better himself. Academically, he's an A-B student who is outstanding at math. Tru will enter high school studying math from the 10th-grade level, as he already has a high school credit in the subject.

It helps that Tru is a fast learner. And because of it, he's not only going to benefit academically but athletically as well.

"I knew myself being a previous coach of football that he was good," Alton said. "But I didn't know how good he was. I know he's always wanting to get better, and he's always studying."

Credit: Alton Thompson

The immediate future

Thompson comes from a football background. His dad was an all-purpose back in high school and played during his stint in the Marines.

Thompson always has been decent against rec-league competition, but the Florida State camp proved to be the ultimate gauge of just how good he was.

He passed. With flying colors. But now what?

"I'm happy I got the offer," he said, "but now, it's back to working out. Nothing much has changed. All I wanted to do when I left the camp was work out when I got back to Griffin."

At 14, Thompson bench-presses his weight and squats 515. He holds a school record in the squat—and he's yet to play a down in a high school uniform.

Thompson has the Florida State offer, but the question now is which school will be the second to offer. And the third. And the fourth and fifth.

The idea of having multiple offers from which to choose hasn't hit Thompson yet, and it's something he's not yet thinking about. Right now, he's just enjoying the game of football.

Everything else that comes with it happens to be a luxury.

"I let him go because he grew up a Florida State fan, and I wanted to let him be seen," Alton said. "If he had something, I thought maybe they'd feel he'd be worth looking at later. I wasn't expecting any of this."

The elder Thompson continued: "He's the truth. When he's out there, he's as humble a kid as there is, a 'yes, sir' or 'no, sir' kind of kid. But when he gets on the field, he's a totally different animal. It's like he's a transformed person."

And the best part about it all: He still has four years of high school to get even better.

"I can't wait for college," Tru said.

Damon Sayles is a National Recruiting Analyst for Bleacher Report. All quotes were obtained firsthand. All player ratings are courtesy of 247Sports' composite ratings. Follow Damon via Twitter: @DamonSayles