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Cathedral senior Tyler Gregg has played football since the third grade. He was a lineman then like he is now.

His fondest memory of football came from youth football. After hitting an offensive lineman, he pushed the lineman back into the running back like a shield. It was this play which had him hooked on the game.

“It was kind of cool. We used to get these shirts in AYA for little rewards,” Gregg said. “That was the first time I got a shirt. I realized this was something I could be pretty decent at. That was a pretty cool moment.”

Football is a way for him to keep in shape and to have a release by hitting people. In games, he will play left guard on the offensive line. On the defensive line, he would play right or left defensive tackle.

Playing on both sides of the ball is tiring, he said. Cathedral does not have enough players to have two separate starting lines. A lot of the starters on the offensive line have to start on defense too.

Cathedral has seniors Paxton Junkin, Christian Wright and Harper Jones in addition to Gregg. Head Coach Chuck Darbonne said Gregg is the only senior who would play on the offensive line this season.

The rest of the starting line are juniors, who have a tight bond with Gregg. Junior lineman Wyatt Fair and Gregg work together in the weight room a lot. They have formed a friendship. 

“He has pretty much been my partner since he has been here,” Gregg said. “We are friends off the field. I am pretty close to Paxton. I am a good friend of Christian and Harper. I wish more seniors would have played, but it is what it is.”

After football practice, Gregg goes to work at his dad’s veterinary hospital in Vidalia. Before animals go to surgery, he helps set up the tables. He sweeps and does laundry, and he takes the dogs for a walk three times a day.

Darbonne said Gregg has excellent guitar skills in addition to strong work ethic. He plays a mixture of country, blues and rock. His musical inspirations are Stevie Ray Vaughn, The Eagles and Joe Walsh.

“Ever since I was a little baby, I just loved really loud rock music,” Gregg said. “I figured why not make it. I picked up a guitar around second grade and kept building on it and building on it.”

After high school, he hopes to pursue a career in music by studying it in college at Belmont University in Nashville or the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

“I think I am going to get my bachelor’s degree in music and music media. I think I am going to pursue a music career,” Gregg said. “The drive to Belmont is scary. It is like nine hours, but I think I can make it work.”

During football practice, Gregg wore a green baseball cap with a mallard in flight. His family recently got a duck camp in Arkansas just over the Louisiana border, he said. 

While he does deer hunt, he said he is not a quiet person. He enjoys duck hunting more because he can be louder.

“It is really relaxing. You sit out there and it is just quiet,” Gregg said. “Or at least it is quiet until you shoot. It is very beautiful. I pretty much sit in a blind with a bunch of buddies. We hang out and catch up on stuff while we are waiting.”

Cathedral has a shooting team, and while Gregg did not compete on it last year, he said he might try it this year. In duck hunting, he uses a 12-gauge Beretta. He is also a baseball player and will make a return to the diamond this spring.

Before duck season, deer season and baseball season can start, there is a month of football. Green Wave players are also a month away from playing their first football game against Madison-Ridgeland Academy. Gregg said he anticipates the upcoming season.

“I’m curious just how we will do this year. We lost some really good players from last year, but I think we have a lot of good ones on here now. I’m curious as to how it will go,” Gregg said. “Playing football here, it makes all the getting up early definitely worth it. It is pretty exciting. There is nothing like a feeling of a Friday night, like the smell of the burgers and stuff. I know I will miss it.”