Texas A&M commitment Jalen Preston was presented with an Under Armour All America jersey on Wednesday at Manvel High (Manvel, Texas).
“It means a lot to be named as one of the best of the best,” said Preston. “It means all the hard work is paying off, and to be recognized for that means a lot.”
Preston, the No. 62 prospect in the Class of 2018 first burst onto the scene in junior high as one of the top AAU players in the country for his age with various viral Youtube videos of jaw-dropping slam dunks. It wasn’t until he received his first football offer prior to his sophomore season that he knew where his future would be after not growing more than 6-foot-2.
“After my freshman season, going into my sophomore year when LSU offered me as a defensive back I knew I could be a big time football player,” said Preston. “LSU is known as DBU and most of their DBs go to the NFL, so I knew I had the talent to be an All-American. I just had to work hard to get there.”
Four questions with Jalen Preston:
What player are you looking forward to competing with or against in the Under Armour All-America Game?
All my guys from Texas playing, we look forward to playing together. We are all good friends. Our arguments are always who has the best team in Houston, and now a lot of us will get to be on the same team and show how good we are together.
If you could start a team with any player in your class, who would it be and why?
I would say Leon O’Neal because I love his passion for the game. He gives himself up for his team and the game, and brings such physicality and love for the game. He’s a competitor that will knock you out.
What is your earliest football memory?
My first time in full pads when I was six or seven was it. My dad was trying to scare me talking about a big kid that was going to hit me hard. They kicked the ball to me, and that guy bounced off of me and I kept running and scored.
What number do your wear, and why?
I wear 5. My dad wore 5 back in the day at Willowridge and at Sam Houston State. He’s in the Sam Houston State basketball Hall of Honor, so it worked for him well.