Dry continues tradition at Southeastern

Tucker Dry has signed to play football for Southeastern Oklahoma State University in Durant, Oklahoma, beginning in the fall.

The commitment in February comes after having an exceptional season playing for Durant High School as a tackle and guard.

Dry is a Choctaw tribal member and the son of Choctaw Councilman James Dry.

Tucker said his father greatly influenced his decision to play sports.

“My dad played tennis and actually played here at Southeastern,” he said. “He saw the potential in me to be a good athlete even before I saw it in myself.”

Dry’s mother was a cheerleader, and he attributes his success on the football field to both of his parent’s athletic abilities.

However, he said he still needs to determine where his 6ft 4in, 300lb frame came from.

“We think we traced it back to a distant relative who was a bigger guy,” said Dry.

Football has not always been easy for Dry.

He had to miss some critical years during high school due to injury and an autoimmune disorder that took him out of the game in his junior year.

He said those times were tough, but they fueled his desire to return even stronger in his senior year.

The return he hoped for is exactly what happened. Dry received offers from 12 college programs upon playing his first full season as a senior.

The decision to attend Southeastern was easy despite so many offers, according to Dry.

“Out of all the schools I looked at, they (Southeastern) have the best business school by far,” he said.

Another reason Dry chose Southeastern was to stay close to family, particularly his little brother.

His heritage also influenced this decision. Dry will be the fourth generation in his family to attend Southeastern.

Being a Choctaw tribal member is very important to Dry.

According to Dry, when he was battling his autoimmune issues, the elders at the community center would gather and pray for him.

“It’s really more like a family than a tribe to me,” he said.

One of Dry’s favorite things to do is serve and talk to the elders at the community center. He plans to continue to do this throughout his time in college.