A-Mays-Zing Transformation: Central Defensive End DK Mays Pushes Forward To Become Team Leader – GeauxPreps

by: William Weathers // GeauxPreps.com Contributor

Earlier this month, center back DK Mays had something to share with the world.

The same man who had waited and watched from the sidelines for two seasons announced to the Central High union that he had committed to the University of Houston. The 6-foot-3, 250-pound three-star prospect had decided to follow in the footsteps of area standouts like Catholic High cornerback Jacob Bradford and Lutcher edge rusher Reshad Sterling.

“It was a tough decision,” Mays said of his choice between the Cougars and TCU. “Looking back … and looking at myself now … it’s a blessing. My dreams came true. Any D1 scholarship is great, but to pick a school that I wanted to go to, that I wanted to be a part of and that would impact my freshman year is awesome.”

Tears of joy were shed by family members who watched Mays develop from a fringe player with limited playing time as a freshman and sophomore to a Division I prospect with 19 scholarship offers at the start of last season.

Mays’ final season may be his best yet.

“Last year he wasn’t strong,” said David Simoneaux Jr., Central’s second-year football coach. “Now he’s a 500-plus-pound deadlifter. He’s going to be a different player on the field this year than he was last year. It’s going to be fun to watch him.”

Mays was part of a renaissance in 2023, helping Central to a 9-3 record and a Division I state non-select quarterfinal appearance. 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 blood, sweat and tears into it,” said Mays, whose twin brother, KD, started at weakside linebacker. “We had guys all over the field with length and versatility. 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, ended up with over 250 yards. We’ve got to learn how to finish, which was the same with Zachary.”

The Wildcats bounced back from a season-opener loss to De La Salle to reel off six straight wins before facing district heavyweights Catholic High and Zachary – both games they lost by a combined 11 points. They reached the postseason with a convincing 45-13 win over East St. John before traveling to No. 2 Neville and overcoming a two-touchdown deficit in a surprising 17-16 victory.

Central’s season ended with a 21-20 loss to Dutchtown in the state quarterfinals.

“It was cool to see his progression throughout the year,” Simoneaux said. “Week 1 against De La Salle, we were trying to figure out how he was moving. His motor got stronger throughout the year, and against Neville, he was a one-man wrecking crew. He was different.”

Barely a dot on the radar

Simoneaux left Catholic High to become the new football coach at Central in December 2022. He first met with the team to establish guidelines and expectations.

After two unremarkable seasons on the team’s bench, mixed with special teams duty for extra points, Mays’ early career had not gone as he had expected. Before Simoneaux arrived, he was looking at the possibility of a move to state power Zachary.

“I sat on the bench,” Mays said. “I was just playing special teams and I used that as motivation. Not getting playing time was motivation. People said I was big for nothing. I used it as motivation. I practiced when people didn’t know I was practicing. I kept my head in the game. People made fun of me for just playing special teams, but I used it all as motivation.”

Mays and his twin brother KD listened to Simoneaux and his vision for Central’s program and decided to stay loyal and remain members of the Wildcats.

Simoneaux admitted he wasn’t familiar with DK Mays due to his relative lack of playing time. He eventually got a glimpse on the team’s 2022 junior varsity film, but he didn’t see anyone with the kind of skills that jumped off his computer screen.

“You wouldn’t have known who he was,” Simoneaux said. “He was 210 pounds, an average guy, who gained 20 pounds in the off-season. He started the season at 230-235 pounds, and by the end of the year he was 245 pounds. He kept training all year long. We can’t say that we did that. The kid worked his ass off and had a growth spurt.

“To see the progress is one reason you’re super proud of the kid and excited for our program to see a guy that deserves the kind of big name that he has,” Simoneaux said. “He’s a poster child for the development that we’re going to see here.”

Mays said he got extra fuel on Fridays during his first season when he wasn’t on the team’s dress-out list. He would go home after school crying, and eventually he channeled that anger into a desire to work out individually.

He never thought of giving up, but only wanted to remain steadfast even when his investment yielded little.

“I just took it all in,” he said. “I just kept working and working.”

A star is born

By the start of his junior season, Mays said he was carrying an extra 45 pounds on his 6-4 frame, the result of his dedication to the weight room. Not only could he deadlift 475 pounds three times, but he had also improved his power clean to 275, up from 125 pounds two years ago.

“I just kept going,” he said. “I got bigger and had a breakthrough my junior year. I had a guy in front of me who was squatting 500 pounds. I knew I had to take his spot and I had to keep working. I took the weight room seriously. I jumped over 100 pounds on the squat and took the weight, did the field portion and took his spot.”

Mays’ first career start against De La Salle (27-20 loss) resulted in a newfound confidence that carried over to another level of play on the court. For the first time, he also considered himself part of the team’s leadership unit, earning him the kind of respect reserved for perennial starters or all-district performers.

Mays became a terror against the run and could pressure the passer, using his 4.8 speed to pressure 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 keep our heads down and drop back into pass coverage.”

One dominant performance after another showed a side of Mays that Simoneaux believed would appeal to college coaches.

Midway through the 2023 season, Mays, who attended 15 college camps last summer, did the unthinkable and released a highlight video.

Thanks to scholarships from Nicholls State and Troy, Mays reached the Power 5 Conference level with an offer from Mississippi State.

“I was playing Madden with my brother when they called,” Mays said of Mississippi State. “I had the whole house lit up after they made the offer. Everything just kept going up.

“I always thought I wouldn’t make it to college,” Mays said. “I wanted to play, but because I wasn’t getting playing time, I just 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 bulk of head coach Willie Fritz’s coaching staff had transferred from Tulane, along with TCU. He made official visits to both schools in June, even going so far as to inform Fritz of his decision to go to Houston, but swore his future college coach to secrecy until his announcement video.

“As the days went by, I couldn’t hold it in anymore,” 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, sending as many as six assistant coaches to Central High to watch him train and further develop their relationship with the rising defensive end.

“Even Coach Simoneaux said he’d never seen a college do anything like that,” Mays said of Houston’s full-court press. “They were so supportive, and with me and my brother in the office, they brought iPads and showed us where we would fit into their defense. It was awesome. They called every day to see how I was doing.”

Mays confided to his mother that Houston would be where he would go on his official visit to the school, which he made official by posting a video on July 6.

Fritz was a coach Mays wanted to play for, especially after the journey Fritz had made from junior college to Tulane, winning at every stop. He plans to build Houston into a championship program in much the same way he did with the Green Wave and believes Mays will play a major role.

Simoneaux has admired several qualities in Mays during the 17 months they’ve been together.

Not only has he emerged as a leader on the team with a Division I home base in Houston, but Mays also has an endearing quality that makes him a favorite with his coaches, teammates and school officials.

There is one relationship, however, that is best expressed in Mays’ warmth and kind nature.

It’s a common sight at Central High games to see the daughter of the school’s athletic secretary, Amanda Lipinsky, a second-grader wearing a T-shirt that reads, “DK’s bestie.”

“He’s the kind of kid you just love,” Simoneaux said. “He’s a big, gentle giant.”