R-JENERATION: Spring Valley linebacker a leader on and off the field

Imagine this: It's a Friday night of your senior year right before the game. You're in the locker room, Beats headphones on, head down, listening to "All of the Lights" by Kanye West.

A few minutes later, you're leading your team out of the tunnel, all eyes watching, band playing, crowd cheering.

It's time to put on a show.

Now, you're a linebacker standing right behind the defensive line, leading the organized chaos that comes from the game of football, reading the opponent, looking for the impact players, scanning the quarterback, the offensive formation and your teammates.

The ball is snapped, the quarterback tosses it to the running back.

You look the runner in the eye.

The burst of adrenaline makes you feel as though you are 3 feet taller and a thousand pounds heavier.

You tackle the ball carrier in the backfield.

The crowd is cheering, and you hear your name over the loudspeaker.

That name: Spring Valley senior, No. 1, Tyree Berry.

As a two-year starter and a contributor as a sophomore, Berry is a leader for the Grizzlies. He led the team in the regular season with 52 total tackles - 29 solo and 23 assisted.

Although the Grizzlies lost 47-6 to the Bonanza Bengals in Week Three, Maxpreps named Berry the "defensive player of the game" with eight tackles and a fumble recovery.

On the field, Berry describes himself as a very confident player.

He tries to lead by example.

Case in point:

During a 68-19 loss to the Legacy Longhorns, a bench-clearing brawl broke out.

"They (the Legacy players) were playing dirty, pushing and shoving," Berry contends. "And then it excelled to the next level (throwing punches)."

As the team captain, Berry did all he could to try to break it up.

Berry says no harm was intended.

"We were just trying to defend each other," he explains.

Like most seniors, Berry wants to go to college. His top choices are UCLA, San Diego State, Arizona and Arizona State. Berry plans to make a highlight film and send it to these universities and others. Berry hasn't decided on a major; however, journalism is a favorite subject.

"I'm a student first," Berry said. "College and grades matter. Sports are just an extra."

Berry's head coach, Marcus Teal, has been coaching Berry since his sophomore year on the varsity squad.

"He's one of the best players," Teal says. "Very good at being a leader. As a coach, you wish they were more like him. He knows about right and wrong."

Teal says Berry possesses the tools needed to play college football.

Berry has the size. At 6 feet, 175 pounds, he clearly looks like a starting varsity linebacker.

Off the field, Berry likes to joke around and, at times, he can be soft-spoken. He described himself as a laid-back guy and in his free time, he likes to hang out with his friends from the team.

Before every game, Berry and his friends stay after school and have a pregame meal.

"He's never in a bad mood," senior wide receiver Landon Leblue says.

Berry also has a close relationship with his mother, Donna Berry.

"He's always smiling, humorous and confident," Donna says. "He's focused on his goals and his future."

When asked how she would react if her son went on to play college football, she became overcome with emotion.

"Just thinking about it is making me teary-eyed. I would cry and scream and give him a hug," she says, repeating some advice she has given to her son: "Life is a journey, enjoy the ride."