Tyson Terry doesn’t just have abnormally heavy hands as a defensive lineman. He isn’t just a heavyweight wrestling champion. He certainly is not your average sophomore-to-be in high school. Terry, at 6-foot-3 and 275-pounds, is an anomaly.

Terry started all 12 games last fall as a freshman at Omaha North (6-6). He finished with 85 total tackles, 12 tackles for loss and six sacks. 

In February, he won the Class A heavyweight state wrestling championship which capped an undefeated (37-0) freshman season.

It goes without saying that playing on the defensive line and wrestling heavyweight meant Terry, as a freshman, was succeeding against the biggest and strongest athletes in the state’s largest class. An uncommon feat.

Terry could go down as one of the most decorated wrestlers in the state’s history. But his future after high school won’t be throwing heavyweights on the wrestling mat but throwing heavyweight lineman on the football field.

“I like wrestling and I love football. I think football can take me to higher places than if I just wrestled at the next level,” he said. “I like wrestling but not (with) the passion I have for football. I don’t know if I can do wrestling every day for 365 days a year. Football is like my job and so I feel like I’ve always loved it.”

Terry’s list of scholarships offers from power conference schools sits at five: Nebraska, Minnesota, Kansas State, Iowa State and Kansas. This spring he took unofficial visits to Iowa State, Minnesota, and K-State.

Terry connected well at Iowa State with Cyclone coach Matt Campbell.

“I really like coach Campbell,” he said. “He is a really down to earth kind of guy and I’m a big fan of his.”

The culture and environment around Gopher football was something that impressed Terry on his visit.

“I just like the atmosphere and intensity they had at practice,” Terry said of Minnesota. “Coach (P.J.) Fleck, I think he is a very intense guy and I think that he would get the best out of me. That was a very good visit there.”

The smaller community and feel of Manhattan, Kansas, is intriguing to Terry.

“I felt like it was more of a family and a small town area,” he said. “I felt connected with all of the coaches and I really liked that.”

Terry has also been on campus at Nebraska. Right now he is working on building a strong relationship with the NU staff.

“I haven’t talked to them in a while, but I’m building a relationship with coach (Mike) Dawson and coach (Barrett) Ruud. I probably talk to (Ruud) the most,” Terry said. “I talk to coach Mickey Joseph a lot too and just keep building relationships with them and coach (Erik) Chinader too. I’m just getting to know them better.”

Terry most likely projects as an interior defensive lineman at the next level. Some of the schools recruiting him are discussing a potential move to the offensive side of the ball as a center or guard.

Terry will be busy in June.

“I’m going to Notre Dame (June 4) and Vanderbilt (June 5) this weekend,” he said. “Missouri June 9, Iowa June 14 and then I’m going out to Oregon the 23rd and 24th.”

While visiting schools he would prefer to get to know current players rather than get all of his information from coaches.

“I like to always talk to the players to see their perspective and what they think of the program,” he said. “I want to get their side of things because sometimes you don’t know if the coaches are trying to sell you ’cause that is what they need to do or if they are being real.”

Although he has some time before he is likely to commit to a program, he knows what he wants from the school he will choose.

“I want a family feel, a small-town area and family-based good culture,” he said. “A winning team and they are not complacent anywhere. They are always looking to do better than they did before.”