Recognizing top talent
Achane, Brown lead All-Greater Houston football.
Fort Bend Marshall coach James Williams is often out of words to describe Devon Achane. • But simply remarking that “Devon is Devon” somehow is enough. If you’ve watched enough of Achane, you know so. The Chronicle’s Offensive Player of the Year was a sight to behold as a senior, especially in the playoffs. • He totaled 2,266 rushing yards on 201 carries with 40 touchdowns on the ground and 50 total after adding his work as a receiver. Achane caught 38 passes for 768 yards and 10 touchdowns. • He’s built a career out of being an electric kick and punt returner. He’s even taken direct snaps and perhaps it’s a preview of how Texas A&M will use him at the next level. • He was a touchdown in a can and an electric play at the snap of a finger. He’s finishing his Marshall career with 115 total touchdowns and one of the catalysts in turning this program from one with budding potential to one as a legit power. • It comes without the ultimate prize — a state championship. Marshall reached the state title game in consecutive years with only Aledo standing in the way. • It doesn’t damper Achane’s career or Marshall’s rise. Achane will play football and run track for the Aggies and emphasis should be placed on his track accomplishments. • He’ll aim to help Marshall win a fifth track and field state championship in six years this spring.
Q: Your class helped bring the spotlight to Marshall football and the community in general. What is that feeling like as you near graduation?
A: “When I first came to Marshall, they had like a 4-6 record. (Class of ) 2020, we’re different. We had a dominant mindset. We didn’t like to lose. All we did is compete in practice. When you compete in practice against the best, then the game is easy. The fans come out everywhere we go. They come support us. The community comes out. They showed us some love and we showed them love. We just like to compete. It was an amazing feeling. I thank everybody that supported us and were along with us on our journey.”
Q: You seemed to take your game up an extra level during the playoffs. What was the key in doing so this year?
A: “In the playoffs, nothing is guaranteed. I take it one game at a time. I watch film. I study my opponent. During the game, I do what I need to do. My team needs me and I need my team. So, we all play a part. It’s playoffs. We know no game is guaranteed. So, we didn’t plan on losing. It comes with a dominant mindset and we just came to dominate.”
Q: Was the loss to Manvel in September a turning point and how so?
A: “It was most definitely a turning point. Even though we lost by four points, we had five turnovers. We went back and corrected our mistakes. We faced them again (in the playoffs) and we won 40-10. Even though we had three touchdowns called back, we still won 4010. It was a turning point. We went back and we were like ‘We can’t let that happen again.’ We watched film and corrected all of our mistakes. It’s never the big things. It’s always the little things like being disciplined.”
Q: Manvel head coach Kevin Hall called you the best player in the country. What is your reaction to something like that?
A: “I just tell him thank you. I’m blessed and grateful for everything. After the game, he told me I’m the best player he’s ever coached against and he just can’t wait to see me play on Sundays. I was thankful for that and grateful.”
Q: How excited are you to play at Texas A&M?
A: “I was really excited when I got to play on my home field (against Boerne Champion at Kyle Field in the state semifinals). That was crazy. That was great. College Station is like an hour and 30 minutes away from my house. It’s not very far. It’s a great, great community. Me and my mom go down there. She loves it every time. When we were at the game, the whole staff was there. They just support me in everything that I do. Not just in football, outside of football.”
Q: Of course, you’re running track at Texas A&M as well. How much does track help you in football?
A: “It helps me a lot. My ninth-grade year, I didn’t even like running track until high school. I ran one year in middle school and then in high school, coach (Lloyd)
Banks was telling me ‘You’re gonna run track.’ Me in my head, I’m like ‘I’m not running track.’ But it’s like when you see all your homeboys, all your brothers, all your friends out there, you’re like ‘Dang, I’m the only one not running.’ So you might as well run. When I got out there, I like to compete. I didn’t like to lose. It was actually fun to me. I just practiced and worked hard. Every practice we competed. If you weren’t competing, the practice was boring to us. Track helps a lot. I was running 22 (in the 200-meter dash) to running 20. That’s a big difference in track. It helps me on the field because on the field, I don’t even have to run my fullest speed. On the field, I don’t even get tired unless I have a couple of long runs. It does help a lot.”
Q: What are your goals for track season?
A: “I want to PR (personal record) in the 200. My PR is 20.4. Just to get another PR in the 200 and I run the 100 sometimes. I just try to go under 10.4, 10.5. And then for relays, we gotta break the record.”
Q: Olympic track stardom or the NFL? A: “NFL.”
Q: Why?
A: “I’m a football player who runs track. I’m not a track person who plays football.”
Q: What do you hope is the biggest legacy you leave behind at Marshall?
A: “We don’t have other goals. Just make it back to state. Ain’t no more stuck in the fourth round. None of that. When we leave, the young guys, they have to really step up. I hope they carry on and they do what we couldn’t do, which was to win state.”