A-Mays-Zing Transformation: Central Defensive End DK Mays perseveres to become team leader
by: William Weathers // GeauxPreps.com Contributor
Earlier this month Central defensive end DK Mays had something to share with the world.
The same guy, who waited and watched from the sideline for two seasons, announced in Central High’s union that he committed to the University of Houston. The 6-foot-4, 250-pound three-star prospect had decided to follow in the footsteps of area standouts such as Catholic High cornerback Jacob Bradford and edge rusher Reshad Sterling of Lutcher.
“It was a hard decision,” Mays said of his choice between the Cougars and TCU. “Looking back … and looking at me now… it’s a blessing. My dreams have come true. Any D1 scholarship is great, but to pick a school that I wanted to go to, fit in, and impact my freshman year is great.”
There were tears of joy from family members who stood by watching Mays transform himself from marginal player with limited playing time as a freshman and sophomore, into a Division I college prospect with 19 scholarship offers by the start of last season.
Mays’ senior season may be his best yet.
“He was not strong last year,” Central second-year football coach David Simoneaux Jr. “Now he’s a 500-plus-pound dead lifter. He’s going to be a different player on the field this year than he was last year. He’s going to be fun to watch.”
Mays was part of a renaissance in 2023, helping Central to a 9-3 record and Division I state non-select quarterfinals. He was selected to the LHSCA’s all-State second team and All-District 4-5A team with 73 tackles, six stops for loss, six sacks, three pass deflections, forced three fumbles, and returned an interception for a touchdown.
“We put in the blood, sweat, and tears,” said Mays, whose twin brother KD started at weakside linebacker. “We had size and versatile people all over the field. De La Salle was a wake-up call for us. We were winning and they came back. We won every game after that and (Catholic running back) Barry Remo, who had 20-30 yards in the first half, finished with over 250 yards. We have to learn how to finish, which was the same with Zachary.”
The Wildcats overcame a season-opening loss to De La Salle to reel off six consecutive wins before running into district heavyweights, Catholic High and Zachary – losing both games by a combined 11 points. They reached the postseason with a convincing 45-13 win over East St. John before traveling to No. 2 seed Neville and overcoming a two-touchdown deficit in a 17-16 upset victory.
Central’s season reached a conclusion with a 21-20 setback at Dutchtown in the state quarterfinals.
“It was neat to see his progression throughout the course of the year,” Simoneaux said. “In Week 1 against De La Salle, we were trying to figure out how he moved. His motor grew throughout the course of the year, and against Neville, he was a one-man wrecking crew. He was different.”
Barely a Blip on the Radar
Simoneaux left Catholic High to become the new football coach at Central in December of 2022, initially meeting with the team to establish guidelines and expectations.
After two nondescript seasons sitting on the team’s bench, mixed in with special team’s duty on extra points, the start of Mays’ career hadn’t unfolded like he anticipated. Before Simoneaux’s arrival, he looked at the possibility of transferring to state power Zachary.
“I rode the bench,” Mays said. “All I played was special teams and used that for motivation. Not getting playing time was motivation. People said I was big for nothing. I used it as motivation. I worked out when people didn’t know I was working out. I kept my head on a swivel. I was clowned for just playing special teams, but I took all of that it was motivation.”
Mays and his twin brother KD listened to Simoneaux and his vision for Central’s program and decided to remain loyal and continued as members of the Wildcats.
Simoneaux acknowledged that he was unaware of DK Mays because of his relative lack of playing time. He eventually got a glimpse of the team’s junior varsity film from 2022 but didn’t see anyone with the kind of ability that leaped off his computer screen.
“You wouldn’t have known who he was,” Simoneaux said. “He was 210 pounds, an average-looking dude, who put on 20 pounds that offseason. He started the season at 230-235 pounds, and by the end of the year was 245. He continued training throughout the course of the year. We can’t claim that we did that. The kid worked his butt off and hit a growth spurt.
“To see the progress is a reason why you’re super proud of the kid and excited for our program to see a guy earn the type of marquee name that he has,” Simoneaux said. “He’s a poster child for the development that we’re going to see around here.”
Mays said he gained additional fuel on Fridays during his freshman season when he wasn’t listed on the team’s dress-out list. After school, he went home in tears, eventually converting that anger into a desire to work out individually.
There were never thoughts of giving up, only a desire to remain steadfast even when there was little payment on his investment.
“I was soaking it all in,” he said. “I kept working and working.”
A Star is Born
By the start of his junior season Mays said he was carrying an additional 45 pounds on his 6-4 frame, the result of his commitment to the weight room. Not only was he able to deadlift 475 pounds three times, but he had also improved his power clean from 125 pounds two years ago to 275.
“I just kept grinding,” he said. “I got taller and had this breakout junior year. I had this guy in front of me who squatted 500 pounds. I knew to take his spot and I had to keep working. I took the weight room seriously. I jumped over 100 pounds on squat and put on the weight, did the field part and took his spot.”
Mays’ first career start against De La Salle (27-20 defeat) resulted in a new-found confidence that transitioned to a different level of play on the field. For the first time, he also considered himself a part of the team’s leadership unit, earning the kind of respect set aside for multi-year starters or all-district performers.
Mays became a terror against the run and could rush the passer, turning his 4.8 speed to his advantage in pressuring quarterbacks.
“I feel like I’m a great run-stopper,” Mays said. “I love it when offenses try to run the ball. We’re a run-stopping D-line, but we can put our heads down and drop back in pass coverage.”
Dominant performance after dominant performance showed a side of Mays that Simoneaux believed would appeal to college coaches.
Halfway into the ’23 season Mays, who attended 15 college camps last summer, did the unthinkable and released a highlight tape.
With scholarship offers from Nicholls State and Troy to his credit, Mays’ talent reached the Power 5 Conference level with an overture from Mississippi State.
“I was playing Madden with my brother when they called,” Mays said of Mississippi State. “I had the whole house lit after they offered. Everything kept going up and up.
“I used to think I wasn’t going to make it to college,” Mays said. “I wanted to play, but with me not getting any playing time, I kept getting discouraged. I worked hard and it paid off. God did what he did for a reason.”
No Problem with Houston
Mays narrowed his choices to Houston, where the majority of head coach Willie Fritz’s coaching staff had moved from Tulane, along with TCU. He took official visits to both schools in June, even going as far as to inform Fritz of his decision to attend Houston, but swore his future college coach to secrecy until his announcement video.
“As the days went by, I couldn’t hold it in,” said Mays, who originally expected to announce his commitment in September. “I called coach Fritz about four or five days (before his official visit) and told him I was coming and asked him to keep it between us.”
Houston made a lasting impression on Mays during the spring evaluation period, dispersing as many as six assistant coaches to Central High to watch him workout, and further develop their bond with the developing defensive end.
“Even coach Simoneaux said he had never seen a college do that,” Mays said of Houston’s full-court press. “They supported me heavily and with me and my brother in an office, they brought iPads and showed us where we would fit in with their defense. It was amazing. They called to check on me every day.”
Mays confided in his mother that Houston would be the place he would attend during his official visit to the school, and made it official with the release of a video on July 6.
Fritz was a coach that Mays wanted to play for, especially after the journey Fritz had taken from the junior college through Tulane and won at every stop. He plans to turn Houston into a championship-level program in much the same manner he did with the Green Wave and believes Mays will play a significant role.
There have been several qualities Simoneaux has admired about Mays in their 17 months together.
Not only has he become a team leader with a Division I home at Houston, but Mays also has an endearing quality that’s made him a favorite of his coaches, teammates, and the school’s administrators.
There’s one relationship in particular, though, that’s best exemplified by Mays’ warmth and friendly nature.
It’s a common sight at Central High games to see the second-grade daughter of the school’s athletic secretary, Amanda Lipinsky, wearing a T-shirt that reads: ‘DK’s bestie’.
“That’s the type of kids you just love,” Simoneaux said. “He’s a big, gentle giant.”