WEATHERING STORM
Highly coveted Cypress Park LB narrows college choices to seven
Harold Perkins was only a few years old when Hurricane Katrina ravaged New Orleans in 2005.
But the devastating storm changed the course of his life forever.
Perkins, a senior at Cypress Park and the No. 1 linebacker recruit in the country, lived in uptown New Orleans when Katrina unleashed her wrath. He still remembers his family having to walk through streets filled with flood water. Eventually, they were able to evacuate the city and relocate to Houston.
“It was hard at first because of the environment,” said Bertha Walton, Perkins’ mother. “We had to adapt to new surroundings, but it was good because Houston is totally different from Louisiana. The atmosphere and environment is really totally different with all the violence and stuff going on in New Orleans. I knew that I didn’t want to go back because I wanted my children to have a different outlook on life and to see things can be better.”
The move was a blessing in disguise. It shaped who Perkins became as a young man and an athlete. Years later, the gridiron phenom — who turned 18 on Friday — has the full attention of the college football world. He is one of the most coveted prospects in the nation from the Class of 2022 and has a bright future ahead.
Perkins narrowed his college choices to seven this week with several blue bloods of the sport among them: LSU, Texas A&M, Alabama, Texas, Oregon, Florida and USC.
“I would just say I’m grateful, thankful,” Perkins said. “Honestly, if I was in New Orleans, I don’t think I would be playing football.
I’d probably be doing other stuff — nothing school related, none of that. Maybe if I was around the right people. But, also, I’m very strong-minded. If I want to do something, I’m going to do it. But the environment down there is really messed up. It’s really not hard to get into trouble.”
Two-way terror
Perkins really became engaged in the Houston sports scene in middle school when AAU basketball coach Larry LaMette took the young athlete under his wing. The court became a place where Perkins could shine.
His budding football career remained on the backburner until high school. After playing his freshman season at Cypress Park, Perkins quit the team. After an important conversation with coach Greg Rogers, however, he returned to the fold. That decision was just another step in his journey to stardom.
“I really came back for the team and that feeling,” said Perkins, who broke out as the district newcomer of the year as a sophomore. “It eats me up on the inside when I see people doing what I want to do.”
Perkins, now 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds, has developed into an exceptional two-way player. His contributions are a huge reason Cypress Park is 3-0 this season. The Tigers picked up a 59-20 victory over Lamar Consolidated on Thursday night at Cy-Fair FCU Stadium. The team has outscored its opponents 189-62 so far.
Cypress Park begins District 16-6A action this week against Cypress Springs.
During the Tigers’ second game against Cy-Fair, Perkins came screaming off the edge, immediately forcing the quarterback to evacuate the friendly confines of the pocket. He then ferociously chased down the signal-caller with his sub-4.5 speed and knocked the ball loose with a strong tackle from behind.
It’s that kind of freakish athletic ability that has college coaches and recruiters captivated.
While Perkins has certainly been a menace on the defensive side of the ball, his offensive prowess is arguably just as impressive. He’s rushed for 345 yards and six touchdowns and is averaging 21.6 yards per carry.
“His growth as a player has been fun to watch,” Rogers said. “He came in just basically being one of the best athletes on the field and letting his natural ability take over. That happened as a freshman. But then coming back and trying to do it at the 6A varsity level, that’s a whole other story. So I think his sophomore year, it humbled him a little bit, and he kind of realized he needed to be more of a student of the game. I think that’s also when he started to realize that he could be pretty good at this sport. He’s embraced it ever since.”
Building a program
Cypress Park opened its doors in 2016 and played its first varsity football season two years later. The Tigers went 0-10 during that maiden voyage, but Rogers saw a lot of potential.
“That first season, it wasn’t evident on the scoreboard that we were getting better, but we could tell from the inside that we were,” he said. “Our kids never quit playing. They played hard no matter what.”
The program won three games in 2019 and finally broke through for its first playoff appearance in 2020 with a 6-5 record. The Tigers ultimately lost to Tomball Memorial in the bi-district round, 57-52.
Expectations remain high for Cypress Park this season. Perkins and his cocaptains — Cameron King, Edward Dixon, Mason Canty and Chris Gilbreath — are focused on keeping everyone locked in.
“The expectation that
we set and goal that we set as a team was to win our district — that’s No. 1,” Perkins said.
“No. 2, not overlooking anybody, because anybody can be beaten. … We knew what we had returning, so our goal was just to stay focused and take it one game at a time. We are executing a lot more as a team.”
Rogers said Perkins has always been a leader, but that he’s taken the role even more seriously as a senior.
“He’s fully embraced it, and now he’s starting to see the impact he has,” Rogers said. “He sees that he can impact not only his peers that he plays with in his senior class, but also these younger guys. He’s done some things and encouraged some guys to go harder and buy into what we’re doing — all the little things you want your seniors to do. He’s holding other people accountable and holding himself accountable to those things.”
The next level
While Perkins still has plenty of time to decide where he will play college football, his primary goals are set.
“Get my education, for one,” he said. “I want to get my education, and then, of course, get those (name, image and likeness) endorsement deals for sure. I just want to be the source to take care of my family — that’s really it.”
Throughout his journey, Perkins’ mother has been a constant source of love and support.
“I just love my mama, man,” Perkins said. “It’s a different kind of love. I don’t know how to explain that. She really is my heartbeat. I’ll do anything for her. I don’t say this about anybody, but I’d take a bullet for my mama.”
The recruiting process for high school players can be overwhelming at times. But Walton said her son has been able to manage that stress well and block out the noise when he needs to.
Rogers has seen that, too. Once the big-time programs came calling, the task became more challenging.
“I think he’s handled it well,” Rogers said. “He blew up all at once. He went from a couple people wanting to talk to him to, all of a sudden, his phone is ringing off the hook nonstop. … I think it did get overwhelming for a little bit, but now he has a better idea of how to handle it all. His mom and uncle have been a huge help with that — making sure the people he’s listening to and the people that are influencing him are the right ones.”
Family has always been paramount for Perkins. Regardless of where he continues his football career, the people in his corner from Day 1 will always be proud and have his back.
“It just lets me see that all of the sacrifices I made, they were worth making,” Walton said.