Bill Spinks
Special to TheOldCoach.com

Leslie said his mother had been sick this past summer, got out of the hospital, but then went back in and got worse.

For new Sherman head coach Gary Kinne, who had just got done coaching his first game with the Bearcats, it was a gut-wrenching job to have to break the sad news to him, and it hit Leslie hard.

"I didn't know what to say or what to do," Leslie said. "I just stood on the field looking, and I was lost."

But Leslie was able to channel his grief through football. The next morning, he was at the fieldhouse for the regular postgame film session.

"The thing about Charles through all that, was he really relied on his family, not only at home but also his extended family with the players on the team," Kinne said. "They supported him, and he came to practice and didn't miss a practice. His senior year of football is important to him, and he told me his mom wanted him to be playing. She wouldn't want him to be on the sideline being sad. He knows she's in a good place, and so he's been able to do that. We're very proud of him."

The Bearcats -- all coaches and players alike -- returned the favor by attending Wanda Leslie's funeral as a team.

Leslie's father, the Rev. Charles Leslie Jr., was at Friday night's game against McKinney watching his son play his final home game at Bearcat Stadium. He escorted his son during the pregame introduction of each senior.

"Without my teammates, and football and everybody in the locker room, I'd probably be lost," Leslie said. "Football's kept me going. It's something to do to keep my mind off that."

His teammates are grateful for his presence on a defensive squad that has steadily improved even as the schedule got tougher.

"He doesn't let anything hold him back," said defensive end Brian Goosen, who plays alongside Leslie. "He loves football, and he's not going to sit out. He was a meeting the next Saturday morning after his mom passed away. He's fully committed to this team."

Leslie started the year at defensive end, but was moved to nose tackle as Kinne and defensive coordinator Brent Graham tweaked the lineup.

"When I found out I was going to play nose, I didn't know what to say because they didn't ask me," Leslie said. "Coach Kinne told me, 'For district, Charles, you're playing nose to help the team win better.' I was like, OK. At first it took me a lot to adjust to it, but now I love it."

So far, Leslie leads the team with 63 total combined solo and assisted tackles, with a pair of sacks as well as a fumble recovery in two of Sherman's last three games.

"He's definitely playing well," Kinne said. "He's doing a great job, and he's really stepped up his game. I feel like he's one of the top defensive linemen not only in our district, but in 4A."

Leslie said he hasn't been contacted by any college recruiters, but Kinne said he may have an opportunity.

"It may be a situation where he could play defensive end, but he may be moved to linebacker," Kinne said. "You see a lot of times these guys who were defensive ends in college playing outside linebacker in the NFL. I think he could be the same type of situation. We ask him to play defensive line, but he could easily play outside linebacker in college. That's an area size- and speedwise that would be a great spot for him."

Leslie's perseverance in a time of personal loss has been an inspiration for the rest of his Bearcat teammates.

"He doesn't let any excuses hold him back," Goosen said. "That's how our whole team should be."