THOMPSON'S STATION — Call it the "Wild-Patriot."
Page coach Charles Rathbone's take on the Wildcat formation saw running back Isaac Otey handle a snap directly before shrugging off a pair of Independence defenders on his way into the end zone for a 12-yard rushing touchdown. It was the game's lone touchdown, as the Patriots edged out a 7-3 win over Independence on Oct. 8 in Week 8 of the TSSAA football season
.Seeing an Otey on the right end of a game-winning play may come as a familiar sight to the more seasoned Tennessee high school football fans. He's the next in a long line of football talent in his family, each of whom have left a mark on Otey in his ascent as one of Middle Tennessee's more formidable rushers.
Otey's oldest cousin Adonis
was a standout defensive back at Blackman before going on to play at USC. Then there's Zyntreacs, a top recruit out of Battle Ground Academy now a redshirt freshman at Purdue. His cousin Dre starred at Riverdale before signing at Mississippi State, where he's in his freshman season.
He's also related to Tennessee linebacker Arion Carter, while his father and brother each played at Centennial.
"They're a big influence on him. They encourage him, give him all the motivation he needs. Give him that family love he needs," Otey's father Dewarren said. "Even when things aren't going his way, they see that and give him the encouragement he needs to keep going. That family background is strong with us and we love supporting Isaac."
It would be easy for the youngest Otey to find himself stuck in his family's shadow, chasing after the same success his cousins enjoyed, but he's never been one for comparisons. While he's yet to test his mettle on the collegiate stage, he holds bragging rights as the lone member of his family to claim a state championship ring, following Page's Class 5A win last season.
Rarely braggadocious in victory, that ring sits unassumingly on Otey's bedroom dresser, and has been a source of pride within his family. While he's already reached the pinnacle of high school football, those around him have ensured complacency never creeps in.
"They've just really coached me well. I've worked out with them a lot and they (helped) getting me into football," Otey said of his cousins. "It fuels me a lot. (They've) shown how far football can take you and how special this sport is."
The junior has rushed 130 times for 760 yards and seven touchdowns, with the Patriots sitting at 7-1, tied atop Region 5-5A with matchups against Hillsboro and Nolensville closing out the regular season.
"He's just got that motivation in him. That fire in him to just keep going," Otey's father Dewarren said. "I guess the family, the way we support him and stay on him, he's got no choice but to keep that fire going."
Harrison Campbell covers high school sports for The Daily Herald and The Tennessean. Email him at hcampbell@usatodayco.com and follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @hccamp.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: How TSSAA football success runs in the family for Page running back Isaac Otey
