BY MARIO AGUIRRE | STAFF WRITER
MISSION — At age 10, Rudy Tornero considered quitting football.
His club team in Veracruz, Mexico, practiced little, if at all. Scouting reports were hastily assembled. And players were discouraged from lifting weights.
“They wanted us to wait until college,” Tornero said. “I thought it was kind of dumb.”
Worst of all, the team grew accustomed to losing.
“We would be lucky if we won at least one or two games,” he said.
As his final season at Sharyland High winds down, with the possibility that he plays his last game Friday against Cedar Park, the Rattlers’ middle linebacker looked back on his past, if only to appreciate where he stands now — as the defensive leader for one of the Valley’s top programs, in position now to potentially get over a third-round hump that has long eluded him. When that’s over, he can focus his attention on choosing a university to play for next season.
“I was already kind of giving up on football,” Tornero said, “but when I came over here, Sharyland pretty much made me love the game. The program here made me love it again.”
IN TRANSITION
Like most kids growing up in Veracruz, Tornero played soccer. He tried it for a couple of years before coming to grips with the realization that he lacked coordination.
“I was terrible,” Tornero remembers. “I couldn’t handle the ball. I just wasn’t very good at all.”
His lineage includes a mother who once cheered and a father who used to swim competitively — athletes in their own right, who found common ground with football.
In search of opportunities, the Torneros moved to the U.S., where Rudy enrolled at B.L. Gray Junior High. At first, his English was rough. He wondered how long it would take to acclimate to a new environment, let alone a culture so deeply rooted in football.
Before long, he met Marcelo Martinez and Mauricio Martinez, future teammates at Sharyland, who took similar routes to the U.S. from Mexico. They helped ease his transition in school, in social settings and in the locker room. And as Tornero found his footing, he started generating buzz for his play on the field.
“It wasn’t until eighth grade that I went to the campus and said, hey, we have someone that could be special here,” Sharyland coach Ron Adame said.
Tornero shattered just about every mark. His tenacity. His nose for the ball. His ability to seep through an offensive line specifically designed to keep him out. And he did, too, without a lightning-quick burst.
“He’s not the fastest linebacker I’ve ever coached,” defensive coordinator Craig Krell said, “but he’s coming at you.”
SETTLING INTO HIS OWN
For as much as he enjoyed watching NFL games, Tornero came to the U.S. taking interest in college football.
“It made me want to work harder and get better,” Tornero said, realizing “it’ll help me in life, getting into college and getting an education.”
At Sharyland, Krell sees Tornero as meticulous in his preparation. He enjoys studying film. He’s always asking questions, keeping a playbook or scouting report within reach. And he’s shown a knack for spotting what offenses are trying to execute against the Rattlers.
“We talked about if we’re in a blitz and the blitz may not be the greatest blitz for that situation, he’ll cover up for it and put himself in a position to make plays,” Krell said.
Perhaps more than anything, Tornero enjoys the hits.
“Ever since I was little,” he said, smiling.
As a youth, Tornero split time between running back and quarterback. In a sport that highlights offensive plays more than anything else, Tornero wasn’t drawn to play either position.
“I think I’m better at reading an offense and chasing after people,” he said. “Pretty much just leading the defense.”
Ever since he’s known Tornero, Adame has seen operate with “a real good motor,” rivaled by few.
During the offseason, he works with personal trainers. When he’s not doing that, he’s gathering linebackers during to join him in track practices and lifting exercises.
“Most of them went everyday,” Tornero said, which partly speaks his influence.
“He’s a great leader,” defensive end Aaron Serna said. “Coach says it all starts with the d-linemen, the guys up front, and he’s opening up those gaps for us.”
FLOURISHING
At Sharyland, Tornero has been part of teams the past couple of years that have won consecutive district titles while advancing to the third round. Outside of a non-district hiccup earlier to Laredo Alexander, the Rattlers have otherwise been perfect throughout the regular season the past three years.
Tornero has been at the forefront of it, accumulating 264 tackles (48 for a loss) and 16 sacks. He’s also caused five fumbles and recovered three.
“Something Sharyland has taught me was to always work hard and never be satisified,” Tornero said. “We’re dedicated to winning here. The community comes out and that made me change my perspective. Right away since I started, I loved Sharyland. I have a lot of pride in it.
“I was ready to give up (on the sport), but moving to a team like this, it made me like the game again.”
Tornero has led a defense that has shut out its last three opponents, including two in playoffs wins over Edcouch-Elsa and Calallen.
Last week, it marked the first time a Valley team had beaten Calallen in the 27 postseason attempts. Calallen hadn’t been shutout since a 2006 state title game.
Tornero left his imprint, recording five tackles (four for a loss) through the first quarter and a half alone, as Calallen mustered only 144 offensive yards.
“For us to shutout a team like that, it was probably our best game defensively,” Krell said. “But besides the stats that we see every week, it’s the things (Tornero) does off the field. The leadership that not only he does but the other senior captains we have on the defensive side. I see it reflected in our overall play. I see it in our confidence. Our kids believe in one another.”
It’s helped draw the attention of DI schools in the University of Buffalo and the University of Massachusettes, along with other DII, DIII and NAIA programs.
“I think it’s amazing how football has changed my life,” Tornero said. “It’s giving me an opportunity in life. Because of football, I’m going to be able to go to college, maybe get a scholarship, and still have fun doing what I love.”