THE APPLE DOESN'T FALL FROM THE TREE FOR KLEIN FOREST STAR BRAD SPENCE.
The 6-foot-3, 215-pound outside linebacker has a football lineage that dates back a generation.
His father Armand Spence played for the Oklahoma Sooners in the late 1990s, also at linebacker.
"My mom and dad are really my inspiration," he said. "My dad and I have that bond of football. He's been where I'm trying to go. He helps me through the ups and downs of high school football and teaches me a lot of technique. He also tells me how college football is going to be."
Spence was an all-district selection as a sophomore and could really disrupt opposing offenses in 2021.
"I play a little running back too, but defense has just always come easy to me," he said. "What I really am working on is being a leader. We have some young guys coming up and Coach (Jonathan) Wilson has changed the culture.
"He challenges us to have a winning mindset and create a winning environment. If we can do that, the wins will come."
Spence is not taking his pedigree for granted.
"I'm blessed with great size and speed," he said. "I'm pretty strong too. I'm willing to put in the hard work and sacrifice things that a regular high school student does to follow my dream."
When he's not honing his skills, what makes this guy tick?
"I'm really into Manifest on Netflix," he laughed. "When I'm not working out of course."
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3 Things to Watch - Klein Forest
THE WILSON EFFECT: John Wilson took over for his alma mater in a pandemic. That's a tough time to try and flip the culture inside the Nest of Klein Forest. The vibe is different as he builds his program. The football facilities are top-notch, and he shouldn't lose athletes from his feeders moving forward.
WATKINS 2.0: Ahmonte Watkins moved in from Louisiana a few years back and now plays for TCU as a RB. Younger brother Jelani is getting some shine as a legit DI receiver as a sophomore. KF needs big plays on offense and he may just be the guy.
YOUTH MOVEMENT: Klein Forest will be forced to play some young, inexperienced athletes this season. Yes, there will be growing pains but it will pay off in near future. Wilson has a plan. He just needs some time to implement it.