Aldine ISD schools have seen many student-athletes go on to play at the next level, especially in football.
This year alone, you have Nimitz DB Cory Huff Jr. (Baylor), MacArthur WR Justin Williams Jr. (Rice) and Eisenhower WR Ryan Niblett (Texas). The talent in Aldine ISD is always there, but the question is -- who will be next?
The next star athlete has emerged at Eisenhower, following his breakout sophomore campaign.
Eisenhower sophomore Joseph Albright has gained the attention of many DI programs. The recently rated 4-star played safety and RB for the Eagles making plays all over the field.
"It all started with my cousin. I use to look up to him when I was younger," Albright said. "He was the rising star of the family and I used to want to be like him, so my parents finally decided to let me play at age five."
Playing at such a young age, Albright gained a passion for the game. He now dreams of where football can take him.
"It's been a blessing for me," he said. I’m looking forward to becoming the first in my family to play college football."
Albright saw most of his varsity action on the defensive side of the ball, where he had 52 tackles, 6 tackles for loss, 7 pass breakups and two Interceptions. One was a 102-yard pick-six. The sophomore also got some playing time on offense and in the kick-return game accounting for 220 total yards, two rushing touchdowns and a kick return touchdown.
"This season was great for me. Coming in last year as a freshman and starting on varsity for four games was great, but an injury set me back," he said. "This year was the year to redeem myself and show everyone why I should take my talents to the next level. I really enjoyed it."
Albright had a great mentor in WR and teammate Ryan Niblett -- the 4-star Texas-commit.
"He’s a very humble, smart and hard-working person," he said. "He really showed me that it doesn’t matter what school you're at, if you put the work in, you’ll be successful anywhere. He’s like a big brother to me. If there’s anything he can help me with, he would be more than happy to help me. I appreciate him so much for leading the way for me."
While he has made his presence known on the recruiting landscape, Albright is ready for the offseason -- when legends are made.
"I plan to get in the weight room and gain more weight to build my body up," Albright said. "Also, I plan to do a lot of conditioning to help build my endurance."
The future of Eisenhower mentioned he will be hitting some college camps this summer and will run track in the spring.
All in a day's work for Aldine ISD's "Next Big Thing".
