Bulldogs’ Heartbeat: Houston commit Reshad Sterling ready to lead Lutcher back to glory

by: William Weathers // GeauxPreps.com Contributor

What Lutcher football coach Dwain Jenkins saw in defensive end Reshad Sterling in 2023 was nothing short of spectacular. He believed the eight-week totals Sterling had accumulated would have made him a serious candidate for the state’s defensive player of the year.

“He was well on his way to putting one of those special defensive seasons,” Jenkins said. “He was kind of poised to have that kind of breakout season toward the end of the year and it was unfortunate he got hurt.”

Sterling, a two-way starter on Lutcher’s 2022 Class 4A state championship team, suffered a torn medial collateral ligament in the ninth week of the season, absorbing a hit in practice he didn’t feel was anything out of the ordinary.

The loss of Sterling for the remainder of the season wound up having severe implications. Not only was Lutcher (8-3) without its best defensive player, but the Bulldogs’ bid to repeat as state champions, which would have been the school’s ninth, was derailed in a 26-10 quarterfinal loss to eventual state champion Opelousas.

“I’ve been fortunate enough to win some state championships,” said Jenkins, who has won two of his three state titles at Lutcher. “It takes so much to win a state championship. You’ve got to have some luck, but you have to be healthy. It was unfortunate that our best defensive player got hurt right before the playoffs and missed that run. We still thought we had a really good chance, but they made more plays than we did.”

The 6-foot-3, 235-pound (down from 240 earlier this summer) Sterling is back and better than ever before. An arduous six to eight-month, non-surgical, rehabilitation process at Cypress Physical Therapy in LaPlace provided the foundation for a 100% recovery, allowing him to return and serve as the face of this year’s team.

Jenkins favorably compared the role Sterling took on a year ago and continues to hold, to the one held by former standout quarterback D’Wanye’ “Lunch” Winfield on the 14-1 state championship team in 2022. 

“The baton kind of got passed from Lunch to Reshad,” Jenkins said. “You see some of those same characteristics and Reshad’s doing the same thing. They try to do things the way they’re supposed to be done and hold their teammates accountable to do the same thing.”

Sterling registered 60 tackles last season with 21 tackles for losses and 10 quarterback hurries. The year before on the Bulldogs’ 4A title team, he had 89 tackles with 12 tackles for loss, five sacks, and 14 QB hurries. 

“Going into this year I’m preparing myself to be a better leader, a better player for me and my team to dominate, get to the state championship and win it,” said Sterling, a three-star prospect and University of Houston commitment. “Just making sure I’m doing the correct things, making sure I’m not letting any of my teammates slack or not do things full speed. 

“I’m fired up to get back out there with the guys,” Sterling said. “To this day, they (teammates) pick on me about when I got hurt. They thought we could have gone back to the dome and gone back-to-back. I’m excited to get back out there, and hopefully, we get back to the state championship and win it.”

If you need an example of Sterling’s leadership, consider the lengths he went to remain connected to last year’s team following his injury.

Instead of drifting into the distance and maybe feeling a sense of self-pity, Sterling sent a text message the morning of each game day to the entire defense, imploring them to remain together and carry out their assignments with great enthusiasm. He was on the team’s sideline, providing an emotional spark, and met with teammates who sought him out.

“I wanted to let them know to still bring the energy even though I wasn’t on the field,” Sterling said. “It was different being on the sideline, but they still did good even though we didn’t get what we wanted. They were comfortable without me on the field.”

The return of Jenkins is a welcomed sight for a team with aspirations of another deep playoff run that would wind up in the Superdome.

Not only will Sterling be a pivotal piece of another talented defense, but his presence will also be felt on offense where after playing 50% of the team’s snaps at tackle in ’22, he’ll shift to tight end to assist in the team’s running game and catch passes.

“I do think that fueled Reshad in many ways,” Jenkins said of his injury. “It showed the guys that even without Reshad we’re still pretty close. We still have a window that’s open for us to make a run at it. His injury forced us to play some sophomores on the offensive line before they were ready to play. They got the experience, and those guys are ready to play. He becomes another piece that you can use on offense. He knows the run game, but with his athleticism, we’re getting him a little more versed in the passing game.”

Sterling said his road back to the playing field was grueling. Twice-a-week sessions laid the groundwork, and it was his discipline and diligence that helped lead to a 100% recovery.

“Some days it was tough to go through therapy,” he said. “I still liked working out, still doing my football things. I just thank God to be 100% strong.”

Sterling’s return to spring practice was tempered somewhat. While he was able to put on a helmet and jersey, Jenkins and the coaching staff were cautious and held him out of contact drills.

“I’m thankful to the staff, to care about my health,” he said. 

Before the start of his senior year, Sterling has the peace of mind of knowing his college future is already secure. 

More than three months ago Sterling, the nation’s No. 30 rated edge rusher and No. 11 player in the state by On3Sports, reaped the benefits of an existing relationship with former head coach Willie Fritz who left Tulane to become the head coach at Houston on Dec. 3. 

Sterling reported an array of scholarship offers, including LSU in late May, but he and his mother had already developed a sense of comfort with Fritz and his staff. Among a group of finalists that included Tulane and Central Florida, he took one official visit to Houston that resulted in his commitment.  

“It was a blessing to have the offers that I had and the coaches for believing in me,” Sterling said. “The bond I had with coach Fritz was the staff was super strong. He checked on me when I went to rehab and still came by school when they could. The more I talked to coach Fritz, you could tell he cared more about life situations.

“I’m shutting it all down, I don’t have to worry about the recruiting process,” Sterling said. “I can’t wait. I want to make sure my teammates feed off of me like they used to. I’m going to have to control myself a little bit. Overall, I’m going to be excited to be back.”