It's a rare occasion for one high school to produce three Football Bowl Subdivision-caliber recruits on the defensive line in one class.
It's an even rarer thing for three defensive linemen with histories like those at Guyer to earn those scholarships.
But that's why it has been so special for Guyer head coach John Walsh to see Cody Henessee, Dan Kottman and Diontre Thomas succeed this season and sign their national letters of intent Wednesday.
"When you factor in the whole mixture of intelligence, strength and speed, this group was probably our top group as a whole," Walsh said, comparing them to defensive fronts of the past that included players like Taylor Bible. "Some other years we might have had a better individual player, but as a unit and as far as working together, this has to be our best."
It was not an easy task for any of the three to earn their scholarships - Henessee to Rice, Kottman to San Diego State and Thomas to Louisiana-Monroe - as each faced their own hurdles to overcome.
Kottman, a first-team all-state selection by The Associated Press Sports Editors this past season, has routinely been called the most dominant player in Guyer's brief history. He racked up 96 tackles with 26 behind the line of scrimmage to go with nine sacks and three forced fumbles as a senior.
But Kottman stands only 6-foot-1 and weighs a little over 250 pounds, which likely limited his appeal in the college recruiting game.
"The motivation I had was that the shorter people and the lighter people that are seen as undersized usually don't get the scholarships," Kottman said. "Since I was a little kid I knew I wanted to be a Division I [FBS] football player and hope to go to the next level after that. That made me work hard and push myself to the limits and just work as hard as I can to get to where I am today."
Once Kottman established himself as a dominant force last season, he inadvertently began stealing the spotlight from some of his teammates, including fellow tackle Henessee.
"Once Dan became who he became, he cast a big shadow, and Cody had to create his own persona," Walsh said. "He did a great job of that."
In fact, Henessee said it was a privilege to play with two other FBS defensive linemen, not to mention middle linebacker Dominic Ramacher, who signed with Oklahoma State as a tight end.
"We're like family," Henessee said. "There aren't many things I can't tell you about those guys. Even Dylan Slovacek who was our other starter was a really good player. We had a great [defensive line]. Overall, my favorite thing was looking to my right and left and knowing those guys had my back. They're some of the greatest guys I've ever met in my life."
Then there is Thomas, a 6-2, 235-pound defensive end, who was only a starter as a senior.
But it was in the 2010 Class 5A Division II state semifinal win over Longview when Thomas showed he was fully capable of stepping into the shoes of Jimmy Bean, who is now a freshman at Oklahoma State.
In fact, he did that very thing against Longview when Bean was benched for the first half, making way for Thomas.
Thomas piled up seven tackles - two behind the line of scrimmage - four quarterback hurries and two sacks in that game.
"We realized then that we'd be OK [in 2011]," Walsh said. "He had a great game. I think he realized it then, too, that he could be something special."
And having such talented players around him certainly helped ease Thomas' transition to being a starter for one of the best defensive lines in the state, the anchor of a defense that allowed just 130 rushing yards per game in 2011.
"It's been great because I know we all had such great skill and everyone can have my back," Thomas said. "I know if I mess up, someone would be there to help me out and make the play."
With their high school careers now over, Walsh said he can fully appreciate not only the quality of his defensive line but the work the unit put in over the past few years.
"All three had their own struggles," Walsh said. "It wasn't just as easy as showing up and being 6-5, 280. They had to go out on the field and work and show what they could do."
ADAM BOEDEKER can be reached at 940-566-6872. His e-mail address is aboedeker@dentonrc.com .
