Times Elite 11: LSU signee Gabriel Reliford saves brother from pit bull attack
Gabriel Reliford and his siblings were walking down a street in their southwest Shreveport neighborhood a few years ago when an angry pit bull suddenly appeared out of nowhere bent on making the slowest Reliford its latest victim.
The trio of Reliford’s sped off toward their home with Gabriel leading the way. Suddenly, Reliford heard his then 10-year-old brother, Emmanuel, scream as he came under attack by the violent animal.
He turned to see that none of the neighbors watching the incident were offering assistance, so he headed back and was able to wrestle Emmanuel away from the dog and get him to safety. Emmanuel survived, but needed multiple hospital visits to have bites and cuts repaired.
It is that kind of tenacity that’s helped Gabriel, an Evangel defensive lineman and LSU signee, become a coveted addition for college football programs across the country. He’s also the No. 1 senior Northwest Louisiana college football recruit on the Shreveport Times Elite 11 list.
Although Reliford, who also held additional offers, wasn’t 6-fot-3 and 257 pounds when he stymied the attack dog, that current size makes him an imposing figure from the Eagles defensive end spot. A former running back, Reliford can run a 10.9 100-meter dash so there aren’t many backs who can out-pace him.
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“Gabe has an NFL wingspan (82 inches) and he’s a great pass rusher,” Evangel coach Denny Duron said. “He has had 100 tackles two consecutive years as an edge rusher.”
Despite his life revolving around football, Reliford doesn’t watch sports, especially college football, on television. He finds it “boring.” Instead, he spends what free time he has watching Anime television series. He watches it every day. Naruto, a Japanese manga series about a young ninja who dreams of becoming the leader of his village, is his favorite.
“I grew up watching it,” he said. “It was my motivation during Covid to work hard.”
Gabriel is the kind of model teenager most parents can only dream of having. He recently started driving his dad’s former work vehicle, a 2006 Hummer, so folks have to stay out of his way on the roadways as well as on the football field. He’s an honor roll student at Evangel, intelligent and a self-starter, according to his mother, Marcella Reliford.
“He works to make money to pay for his gas and he does his own clothes shopping,” Marcella said. “He’s always on time, he’s a great driver and he made his own decision about (originally) choosing A&M.”
That decision was made after three visits to College Station and understanding how the coaching staff plans to use him.
“They want to use me as a Buck end because of my versatility,” Gabriel said. “I can play the five technique or on the defensive line. I think that gives me a better chance of making an NFL roster too.”
Reliford’s growth has been dramatic. He’s gone from 5-11 and 200 pounds to his current size.
“He had a growth spurt and shot up like a weed out of nowhere,” Marcella said.
Before he became a punishing defensive end, Reliford was a solid running back and stayed with that position until his sophomore year when coaches realized he was more valuable chasing down quarterbacks.
But the most memorable game of Reliford’s career to-date hearkens back to his days carrying the ball.
“I was in little league, and we were in the playoffs, and we were on the goal line to win the game,” he said. “Last play, they gave me the ball, and I didn’t score — and we lost.”
That kind of memory, as well as a dog attack, tend to stick with you.
Jimmy Watson covers Louisiana sports for the USA TODAY Network. Email him at jwatson@shreveporttimes.com and follow him on Twitter @JimmyWatson6.
Gabriel Reliford file
Secret talent: “I like to draw.”
Country he’d most like to visit: Japan
Favorite subject in school: Math
Teacher he’s most appreciative of having: Cindy Green
Favorite food: Chipotle rice bowl
Person from history he’d like to dine with: Martin Luther King
Favorite pro athlete: Micah Parsons
Team he loves to beat: Huntington
Toughest opponent he’s faced: Neville
The habit he’d most like to break: “I’d like to stop popping up out of my stance.”
His go-to app: TikTok
TIMES ELITE 11
Gabriel Reliford (Evangel, Texas A&M); Tylen Singleton (Many, LSU); Ahmad Breaux (Ruston, LSU); Tristan Santoro (Evangel, Baylor); Aeron Burrell (Parkway, LSU); Swazy Carhill (Many, undecided); Joe Cryer (Nat. Central, LSU); Jadon Mayfield (Ruston, La. Tech); Abram Murray (Byrd, Miami); Geordan Guidry (Ruston, Tulane); John Simon (Calvary, La. Tech).
This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: Times Elite 11: LSU signee Reliford doesn't back down from pit bull
