More Than a Name and a Mullet: OL Rowdy Frederick Enjoying Rise in Recruiting

Rowdy Frederick gets it. His play on the field, although good enough, won't be the first thing to which others are instantly attracted.

His first name is Rowdy. It's not a nickname. His first name really is Rowdy.

And yes, his hair is, well, his hair. He's one of the few high school players nationwide who rock the mullet. Proudly.

When people reach out to the rising 2016 prospect, those two topics are normally the conversation starters. More often than his name is his flowing brown hair—called by USA Today's Cam Smith "the best hair in all of football, regardless of level."

"I don't mind, but I'd rather be known for my play than my hair," Frederick said. "I plan on being known for both one day."

Slowly with time, the 6'5", 320-pound offensive lineman from Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, is showing the world that he's more than a unique first name and daring hairstyle that could get him an instant cult following.

Watch Frederick with a helmet on, and you can see that he can play the game of football. Very well. 

Marketing 101

Broken Arrow is located in the northeastern part of Oklahoma. It is the home to one of the largest high schools in the state. It's also home to Rowdy Frederick, a 3-star offensive lineman with a 5-star workman's attitude.

So how did Frederick get his first name? He takes pride in being named after an old Clint Eastwood character.

"When he was growing up, my dad's favorite show was Rawhide," Frederick said, referring to the old CBS western television series featuring Eastwood as Rowdy Yates. "He said his first born son was going to be named Rowdy.

"People never believe me when I tell them that's my real name. If you think about it, it's kind of a funny story how I got it."

Frederick's name is courtesy of his father. The hair, however, was his idea alone.

In short, Frederick thought the mullet "was a cool hairstyle." It's been his trademark as a high school student.

"I know it was big back in the day. My uncle used to rock one, and my dad used to rock one," he said. "Plus, it's different. It makes me stand out. Aside from me being the size I am, it gives me another way for people to see me."

Consider his hair a recruiting marketing tool of sorts. Frederick's mullet draws him to coaches. His physical play as an offensive lineman wins them over. His friendly personality happens to be a welcome bonus.

"They'll talk to me about what I can do for their programs," he said of interested coaches. "Then after the conversation, they'll bring up the hair or the name. I get it all the time."

Game over everything

Rowdy Frederick's numbers in the weight room are impressive. He bench presses 380 pounds, squats 620 and power cleans 335. His fastest 40-yard dash is 5.22 seconds. On the field, he can line up at either tackle or guard, but he's projected to be a guard in college.

Recruiting is starting to escalate for the big lineman, as he has FBS offers from Tulsa and Texas Tech (he also has a junior college offer from Northeastern Oklahoma A&M in Miami, Oklahoma). Frederick is receiving heavy interest from Missouri, Arkansas, Iowa State, Kansas State and the two Big 12 in-state schools, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State.

Frederick will be in Fayetteville, Arkansas, this weekend for the Razorbacks' annual Red-White spring game. If an offer from Arkansas comes on Saturday, so be it. If not, Frederick said he is fortunate to have two FBS programs to choose from.

Tulsa was his first offer, which he picked up the day before national signing day in February. He added the Texas Tech offer earlier this month. Additionally, he's made unofficial visits to Oklahoma and Oklahoma State.

"I like the new offense Tulsa is bringing in this year," Frederick said. "They're going to be very fast-paced. Honestly, I think they'll just gas people with it. I like that style of football. Coach Monty [Philip Montgomery] is coming from Baylor, and he's a great guy. He'll turn that program around for sure.

"I like Texas Tech because I have family in Lubbock. I remember going to games there when I was little. I remember the atmosphere. It was a great experience. They have a great offense. It's fast-paced and no-huddle, and it's more Air Raid."

Frederick said he's happy with his offers, but he is keeping all options open and won't make any decisions until before the start of his senior year. He said a commitment could come in either late July or early August.

Frederick added that while all schools are being considered, following in the footsteps of his great uncle is something he's thought about. Don Kenney played left tackle at Oklahoma in the 1950s and just missed the 1955 and 1956 seasons, when the Sooners won back-to-back national championships.

Wherever Frederick plays, however, he wants to leave his legacy. He said he has a lot to offer at the next level—and a lot to show the schools pondering taking a chance on him.

"I want them to see that as big as I am, I can still move," he said. "At the same time, I'm powerful and can knock people off the ball. I like getting pancakes [blocks]. I want them to see that I'm able to move and agile, but at the same time strong enough to play college football."

Credit: 247Sports

Keeping it '110'

For Rowdy Frederick, there's no such thing as "giving 100 percent."

"Nah," he said. "Make that 110 percent."

Frederick has had his ups and downs in high school, from losing his starting spot as a sophomore for one reason to losing his starting spot as a junior for another reason.

As a sophomore, Frederick started five games, but he went from a full-time starter to a part-time starter midway through the season. Frederick said he wasn't managing his weight, which was affecting his quickness and lateral movement.

"I was 345 [pounds]," Frederick said. "I got down to 316 before this past season."

As a junior, Frederick was ready to show off his leaner, trimmer self. However, a dislocated shoulder sidelined him during part of the 2014 season.

The shoulder injury could be a reason why recruiting started so slowly for Frederick. He was injured during Broken Arrow's first scrimmage of the year, and he rotated as a starter for the first part of the season.

"I didn't get to start a full game until the fourth game of the season," Frederick said. "I think some of the coaches were wondering if injuries would sideline me."

Now completely healthy, Frederick has a primary objective to not only compete with the best offensive linemen in the country, but also bypass a few of them.

With that, he's expecting a few more offers to come.

"It's been a steady incline, so that's good," he said. "I wouldn't mind it going a little faster, but I think it's at the point of where I can handle it."

And if that means using his name and his hair to serve as an icebreaker of sorts, then consider it done.

Particularly the hair.

"I think the mullet helps, but I can be a dominant player with or without the hair," he said. "I hope the mullet makes a comeback, though."

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