As just a sophomore in high school, Freddie Dubose Jr. already established himself as one of the top football players in San Antonio. That was at Clemens High School. His family moved after that season and as a junior he was set to play at Smithson Valley High School.

"At first I wasn’t really excited about the move for the simple fact I was going to have to meet new people,” Dubose said. “Come to find out moving schools was one of the best decisions, meeting all these new players that I can now call my brothers.”

After forming a quick bond with his new teammates, Dubose and the Rangers were ready to get the 2022 football season started in their opener against Reagan. In the first quarter of that game, Dubose scored the first touchdown of the season, but that would be his only touchdown of the season. Later in the game, he caught a short pass on the far side of the field and got hit as he planted his left knee and that knee gave out.

“It was probably the worst experience that I had just for the simple fact I knew my season was over,” Dubose said of that moment he got hurt. “I didn’t really care in the moment. I was hurt. I just knew that once I couldn’t get up, my season was over.”

Dubose had torn the ACL in his left knee. It would require surgery and force him to miss the rest of the football season.

“He knew it was going to be a long process, and he was very upset initially,” said Brian Zettler, the head athletic trainer at Smithson Valley. “There have been good days and there have been bad days, but Freddie has been a model citizen throughout the process.”

“It was rough at the start, just mentally trying to get myself together,” Dubose said. “Try to stay focused on the bigger goal that it wasn’t necessarily about me and what happened. It was more so for the team.”

Dubose couldn’t be on the field to help his team, but he could still be at the games and support them. He did just that all season and became one of the Rangers’ biggest cheerleaders.

“I’m going to do as much off the field whether it’s helping in film, or just encouraging them in games when hard stuff happens,” Dubose said.

His teammates would need his support when the season ended in dramatic fashion. Smithson Valley was stopped at the goal line on the last play of their state semifinal game against College Station. They were inches away from playing for a state title.

“We all have this goal to get a ring because we saw how far we made it last year and I personally don’t want to ever feel that feeling again,” Dubose said. “The motivation is Larry, I think about Coach Hill all the time when it comes to a state championship. He has this mirror frame on his desk and it says ‘state champs,’ but it doesn’t have a year, date or photo.”

Smithson Valley head coach Larry Hill is one of the winningest head coaches in Texas high school football history, but he hasn’t won that state title yet. Dubose is hoping he can help make that happen next season. But before getting to that goal, he set his mind on gold and rehabbing his knee so he could be ready to run track this spring.

“I knew I was going to be back for track because I knew I was going to do the right things to be back for track,” Dubose said. “I have a fear of messing up and I don’t want to mess up my rehab at all, that’s why I take it so serious.”

“If you were to use a traditional schedule, he’s been far ahead of it,” Zettler said. “The way he has recovered and responded to his whole rehabilitation process has just been phenomenal.”

Not only did Dubose make it back for track season, less than eight months after the injury, he qualified for two events at the state track meet:  The 400m dash and 4x400m relay. 

“To see him be in the stinking state finals is just remarkable,” Zettler said. 

At the state track meet, Dubose won a bronze medal in the 5A 400m and helped Smithson Valley finish 7th in the 4x400m relay. Now his focus turns to the rest of his rehab. He has not been cleared for contact in football, but that is expected to come next month. Meanwhile, he does what he can and has been practicing with the team during spring football drills. He can’t wait for his senior season and has a new perspective on what it means to get to play again.

“My mom is always in my ear telling me ‘It’s all a part of gods plan,’” Dubose said. “How she’s just doing this to better my future and better me for anything that happens in my life.”

Even though he missed his junior season, Dubose remains one of the top football recruits in Texas. He holds offers from top programs like Texas, Texas A&M, Baylor and Oregon, just to name a few.