By ANDREW CRUM, Staff Writer
Brownsville Veterans Memorial’s Jeremiah Meyers learned a thing or two while in the Midwest.
One of those things was how to be a leader. And since then, he has become one on both on the basketball court and the football field.
“Coming here, I just stepped into that leadership role,” said Meyers, a senior wide receiver who returned last year after moving with his family and attending school in Michigan. “I’ve embraced that. I’m a basketball player, so I’m used to being the point guard, I’m used to being the leader. Plus, I learned a lot when I was away.”
Meyers is expected to be one of the Chargers go-to receivers, especially with the plan to expand the passing game and add a little more balance with the usual powerful running game in Brownsville Veterans’ offense. He will get his first chance when the Chargers play host to Donna High on Thursday at Sams Memorial Stadium in The Brownsville Herald’s Game of the Week.
“Jeremiah is a very skilled athlete who is able to do many things,” Brownsville Veterans coach David Cantu said. “He’s going to help us at receiver this year. If you put it up there, he has that desire where he’s going to make big plays.”
While Meyers will be looked at to put up numbers on the field, his contribution as a leader might be just as important.
“Jeremiah brings a great deal of leadership to this team, but in a very humble way,” Cantu said. “He’s a class act who is always looking to lift everyone up. It’s hard to tell if he ever has a bad day, he always brings such a positive attitude to everything he does, and you can’t but respect him.”
Cantu said Meyers isn’t just one type of leader, he shows qualities of each kind.
“He’s not afraid to be a vocal leader, which is important, you have to have some of those,” the Chargers coach said. “But it’s also his work ethic. He’s always looking to do extra to get better at his position, so he also leads by example (for his teammates).”
Meyers shows he’s a leader on and off the field.
“On the field, I just make sure I give 110 percent,” he said. “Leading by example, making sure I’m getting my teammates into it so they want to do the same thing. Being a leader in the classroom, making sure I’m getting my grades, and I’m to class on time.”
Meyers said sports are just different in the Midwest. He had to learn to play a different way, a different style. But it helped him gain more confidence in his abilities, and he brought that poise with him back to Texas.
Meyers also is one of the Chargers’ captains, something he earned by his actions.
“Jeremiah treats everyone with a great deal of respect,” Cantu said. “Regardless of who it is, he takes it upon himself to lift others up and he takes pride in that. And he does it in a way that’s very humble and completely genuine.”
Andrew Crum covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6629 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @andrewmcrum.