By ANDREW CRUM, Staff Writer
The Harlingen High Cardinals have been dealing with adversity all season, whether it is through injuries or lack of consistency at times on both sides of the ball.
However, one constant presence on defense this year has been safety Elijah De Leon.
De Leon, a senior and team captain, has been a starter on the Cardinals’ defense for the past three years. His presence on the field has made a difference despite the Cardinals’ struggles this season.
“He’s like insurance, someone you can definitely rely on,” Harlingen High coach Manny Gomez said. “As a coach, that’s what you try to surround yourself with kids that are going to be there no matter what the situation is, no matter what the record is, no matter the score. You know they’re going to play hard from start to finish. A majority of our kids are built that way, but no doubt this kid’s been doing it for three years.”
The former ball boy and son of a coach (his father, Rey De Leon, is the defensive line coach for Harlingen High) always wanted to be in a Cardinals jersey.
“I can remember growing up, I’ve always wanted to play on the Cardinals,” he said. “It’s been an honor to be a captain. The pride, the tradition the program has, there’s a huge sense of pride there.”
He learned from the players on the field that he saw as a child, and he wanted to emulate it someday.
“It was a goal of mine,” De Leon said. “They were leaders on the field, doing the coin tosses. That was always something I wanted to do. There is definitely that (feeling of) achievement.”
Gomez has known De Leon since he was a child and beams like a father would with pride for his senior safety.
“I’ve seen this kid grow, and now he’s a senior and doing great things,” he said.
De Leon’s leadership is something that stands out.
“I always try to lead by example, I would rather lead by example rather than talk, scream a bunch of stuff that doesn’t get done,” he said. “Sometimes you have to talk to the guys after the games. They believe in you, they look up to you as a leader.”
But it’s off the field as well. It’s something De Leon credits his parents for instilling within him early on.
“My parents have always pushed me to do everything 100 percent. Always finish it and do it at a high level,” he said. “They’ve pushed me and been behind me in my decisions and everything I do. (I strive to be a leader) by my play on the field and off the field in the community and in the classroom.”
Gomez has always noticed how De Leon plays the game.
“From start to finish, this kid will play hard. He won’t slow down,” Gomez said. “If you’re blessed with 4.5 speed, I want to see it in the fourth quarter. This kids been blessed with 4.5 speed, and I see it from start to finish.”
The Cardinals’ coach said De Leon is leaving a part of himself behind.
“(The thing) he’s passing on to the younger guys as a tradition at Harlingen High School is work ethic,” Gomez said. “He definitely possesses it, and that amplifies on the field.”
Overall, Gomez said De Leonis an example of what he hopes to see among all his players.
“Elijah’s a kid who I respect,” he said. “We emphasis being a good person, being a good student, being a great athlete.He epitomizes that, what we entrust and emphasize at Harlingen High School.”
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.