August 20, 2026 - Walter Thomas Jr is a Center Roughrider football player in his freshman year of high school. He was registered by his father, Walter Thomas, for the 2026 Youth Athlete of the Year.
Mr. Thomas describes his son as someone who exemplifies the definition of hard-work, ambition, and determination. He trains to succeed and exceed!
In the questions section, Mr. Thomas gave the following answers describing his son.
What do they love most about playing their sport(s)?
Walter loves the fact that football gives him an outlet to express his aggressive energy! Having an opportunity to channel his negative emotions positively helps to keep him balanced and enables him to stand out as a leader amongst his peers!
Who inspires them—on or off the field—and why?
On the field, Walter likes to study the professionals and college players that plays his position. As his father, I encourage him not to try and reinvent the wheel, just focus on ways to make the machine run smoother. Off the field, he was inspired by my father "Big Walter" who just recently passed away at the age of 83 years old! Big Walter always taught us the importance of hardwork!
What’s one moment in their athletic journey that makes you proudest?
Every summer we try and send Walter to train with Ben Emanuel a former NFL player, what makes us the most proud is seeing his growth on and off the field, using what he learns during training!
You decide who will be named Youth Athlete of the Year to take home $25,000 and represent 3Brand in Sports Illustrated and on CBS. Click here to vote for Walter! The first cut is Thursday the 27th of August at 8PM PDT.
