To hear Steele offensive tackle Terence Steele tell it, he wasn't trying to become a college prospect when he lost 50 pounds. It just worked out that way.
"I was just trying to get better and help my team," Steele said Wednesday.
He did that and earned a scholarship in the process.
When Steele signed a national letter of intent with Texas Tech on Wednesday, it marked the culmination of months of hard work and a new beginning at the school where former Steele coach Mike Jinks, who recruited Steele, has been an assistant coach since 2013.
"He had a lot to do with my decision," Steele said of Jinks. "I like the school. I think it's the right fit for me. They're going to redshirt me as a freshman and then I'm going to compete for a starting spot. I was really excited about this day. I barely slept last night."
Under NCAA rules, Wednesday was the first day that high school seniors can sign letters of intent with colleges. Highly anticipated by coaches, recruits and fans throughout the country, National Signing Day is college football's equivalent of the NFL draft.
Steele, 6-foot-5 and 290 pounds, also had offers from BYU, Oklahoma State, UTSA and North Texas, but he committed to Tech a few days after making his official visit to the Lubbock campus on Halloween weekend. Firmly sold on the Red Raiders, Steele didn't visit any other school.
"I knew that's where I wanted to go," Steele said.
Steele, who won't turn 18 until the summer, did pretty well for a guy who started for only one season on the varsity.
"He's one of those kids who put himself in a great position with hard work and dedication," Steele offensive line coach Mike Barcenez said. "I think he's going to continue to do that in college. I think he's going to be one of those guys that's going to blossom. I have a special interest in him because he's worked so hard. Nothing was given to him."
Steele is the only player from the San Antonio area who signed with a Big 12 school Wednesday, and Steele was the only school that had two FBS signees. Quarterback L.G. Williams, the Knights' starter the past two seasons, signed with Texas State.
"Just putting in the work and being able to be successful and accomplish one of the goals you've had in mind really means everything in the world to me," Williams said. "I couldn't thank my family, I couldn't thank these coaches, I couldn't thank my friends and family enough for helping me out in any way. I think I'm just blessed to be here today."
Williams was one of the most prolific quarterbacks in the San Antonio area last year, passing for 2,240 yards and 24 touchdowns, with only three interceptions, and rushing for 901 yards and 11 TDs in Steele's 13-2 season.
"L.G. is as good a competitor as we've ever had," Lehnhoff said. "He will fight to the end. He's an unbelievable leader. He does have good quarterback skills. His feet are nice. He's good a good, quick release.
"You can't coach those types of things sometimes, and he can make every throw. And then he's a running back when he's got the football. He's a special kid, special player. I'm very proud of him."
Boerne quarterback Quinten Dormady, who enrolled at Tennessee last month, was the only other area player who signed with an FBS school from one of the NCAA's so-called power conferences.
Brandeis wide receiver Peyton Hall and O'Connor safety Darryl Godfrey are the only high school seniors from the area who signed with UTSA. Former Madison wide receiver Dannon Cavil, who transferred from Oklahoma to UTSA in January, is among 37 players who signed with the Roadrunners. Cavil was redshirted as a freshman at OU in 2013 and did not play last season.
After weighing about 340 pounds at the end of his junior year last spring, Steele was a svelte 289 when he reported for two-a-days workouts in August. He began the season as a starter after playing as a backup his junior year and helped the Knights reach the Class 6A Division II state semifinals.
Steele head coach Scott Lehnhoff described Steele's improvement from his junior season to his senior year as "remarkable" and praised his work ethic.
"He's quite a story," Lehnhoff said. "He definitely is worthy. He worked as hard as any kid we've ever had and really done things right. It was really remarkable. Terence is just a really big-bodied kid that you really never knew about. Is he going to be able to run well enough? Is he going to be athletic enough to do the things we want him to do? But he just kept getting better, better, better.
"Really, from his junior to his senior year, the jump that he made was just awesome. He lost a lot of weight, trimmed down. I'm really proud for that. I think he's just a hard-working kid that wanted to do right. He wanted to do right for the Steele Knights more than anything else. Anything else was going to be gravy for him."
Steele offensive line coach Mike Barcenez didn't mince words last spring when Steele asked him what he had to do to get more playing time: Get quicker and more physical.
Steele took the challenge and trained harder than he ever had before last summer.
"By losing 50 pounds over the summer, Terence is one of those guys who put himself in a good position," Barcenez said. "He always had the ability and, of course, the size, which the college coaches like. With him getting in shape and taking football seriously, he put himself where he is right now. He had a great season last year. He's going to develop and mature. We all knew the potential was there."
Now Steele knows, too.
Greater San Antonio Football Bowl Subdivision signees
Erik Beilman, Brandeis tight end, New Mexico
Daishawn Dixon, Taft offensive lineman, San Diego State
xQuinten Dormady, Boerne quarterback, Tennessee
yDannon Cavil, Madison wide receiver, UTSA
Darryl Godfrey, O'Connor safety, UTSA
Peyton Hall, Brandeis wide receiver, UTSA
Bryan London, Randolph linebacker, Texas State
Marcus McNeil, Madison offensive guard, SMU
Crockett Mokry, Pleasanton offensive guard, Rice
Travis Pospisil, Boerne Champion running back, Navy
Nick Smisek, Churchill running back, Air Force
Terence Steele, Steele offensive tackle, Texas Tech
L.G. Williams, Steele quarterback, Texas State
x – enrolled in classes at Tennessee in January
y – enrolled in classes at UTSA in January
