East Boston’s Thompson goes from hitter at LB to hit at QB
East Boston coach John Parziale was running a preseason practice last spring and couldn’t help but notice a particular young man. Play after play, the same player was seemingly involved in every play. Parziale quickly learned that the player in question was a sophomore named Taelor Thompson.
“Our scout defense was scrimmaging against our first offense and this kid was making plays,” Parziale recalled. “I kept asking who’s that and my assistants would tell me that’s Taelor. My God, this kid seemed like he was making every tackle. I knew right then he was definitely going to start at linebacker.”
While Thompson isn’t your prototypical linebacker at 6 feet and roughly 160 pounds, he isn’t shy about sticking his nose in there and making things happen. He would go on to become one of his team’s leading tacklers.
“I like to hit,” the soft-spoken Thompson said with a smile. “When I’m out there, I get mad and feel like I become a different person.”
Thompson would add to his duties midway through the season. With the Jets seeking an offensive spark in the TechBoston game (their only loss in the Fall 2 season), Parziale installed Thompson at quarterback and his team responded.
“We worked him in a little in the Charlestown game, then brought him against TechBoston,” Parziale said. “He sparked us, but we were down too far to come back. The next week against Latin Academy, which was a championship game for us, Taelor started and played well. He can throw the ball so that loosened up them a little bit.”
Given his preference, Thompson will be the first to tell you he loves the physical play that comes with defense. But he wanted to get on the field more, so when Parziale came calling with a chance to get more playing time, Thompson was all in on the running the show from the offensive side of the ball.
“When they put me at quarterback, I just said that I was going to have fun with it,” Thompson said. “I felt comfortable right away playing there and it was just a matter of everyone getting used to me back there. I was going to do whatever they asked me to do, I just want to play football.”
Thompson’s success wasn’t restricted solely to the turf field overlooking Logan Airport. He was equally proficient in the classroom as he proudly points out that he’s been an honor roll student since the fifth grade. Parziale might be the coach and leader on the playing field, but there is another coach off the field ready, willing and able to stress the importance of a good education.
“My mother (Deborah) is always on me about it,” Thompson said. “When I go home, she’s always talking to me about school and my grades.”
To get someone who can be good in school and sports isn’t always the easiest thing in the city. As much as Parziale stresses the significance of it, he’s always been around long enough to know he’s dealing with young men who carry additional burdens.
“A lot of the city kids have more on their plate, they may have to work, they have younger brothers and sisters and things like that,” Parziale said. “Taelor is a great kid, he’s the type of kid we want in our program. We stress to them that talent is important but accountability is critical and Taelor is here all the time.”