By his junior year at Neuman-Goretti High in Philadelphia, USC linebacker Eric Gentry grew to an impressive height of 6 feet 6, writes Ryan Kartje for the Los Angeles Times.

His weight took a bit longer to catch up, and the young player soon found himself struggling to feel comfortable in his own body.

However, he did not let this deter him from his goal of becoming the very best player he could possibly be. In fact he soon realized that his height helped him dominate the field and he felt his confidence start to rise.

Within months, he had managed to turn his height into his greatest strength and later become one of the most unique defenders in college football.

This season Gentry has emerged as the pass-swatting and ball-stopping field general at the center of his team’s defense. Over four games, he led the Trojans in tackles and acted as an invaluable deterrent in the middle of the defense.

“This young man could potentially change the game,” said Al Crosby, who coached Gentry at Neumann-Goretti. “He’s just that physically different.”

Read more about Eric Gentry in the Los Angeles Times.