Louisiana Football: Interview with Parkway 2021 DT Trenton DeFatta
By Charlie Beuttel
Twitter: @charlie_cds3
Parkway High School located in Bossier City has a tradition of sending student athletes to the collegiate level every season. One of the next big names to come out of the Panther program will be senior defensive tackle Trenton DeFatta.
During DeFatta’s junior campaign, the 6’2”, 250-pound, machine racked up 48 total tackles including 15 for a loss and three sacks. DeFatta has tremendous strength and athleticism which he uses to blow past offensive lineman and make big plays in the backfield. He also has great footwork and explosiveness.
This class of 2021 recruit currently holds one offer from East Texas Baptist University and is also drawing interest from several college programs. Not only is DeFatta a force to be reckoned with on the gridiron but also in the classroom where he holds a 4.0 GPA.
In an exclusive Recruiting News Guru interview, I caught up with Trenton to talk about his junior season at Parkway and get an update on his recruiting process.
Interview
Trenton, what are your thoughts on the 2019 season?
“Our 2019 season wasn’t our best year for sure but it was definitely a season full of memories with all my teammates and coaches. I’m definitely going to miss the senior class of the 2019 season.”
How would you grade your individual performance in your junior season?
“It’s really hard to grade yourself to be honest, but I honestly would give myself an A, because I feel like I really did my job on the defensive line this past year and was able to help the team out a lot. I wasn’t perfect by any means, but I still feel like I did my part on the field.”
What are your strengths on the football field?
“My strengths on the field are stopping the run game and making players bounce out of the box, which allowed our linebackers to get free and make the tackle. I did really well this past year filling my gaps and taking on different types of run blocks. I also did well on reading screens as well.”
What was your most memorable moment in 2019?
“My most memorable moment this past year was when we had a rainy practice and the field was flooding toward the end of practice. When practice was over my teammates and I all ran and slid in the water with full pads on and everything. Very fun times!” 
Did you receive any individual honors?
“I received second team All-District last year.”
What is your practice schedule during the offseason?
“My practice and workout schedule in the offseason is an everyday thing when it comes to working out and trying to fix everything I slacked at this past year. I am trying to get better for the next year.”
What are you working on most to improve your game?
“I’m working on my pass rush technique for next year. I’m not bad at it, but I can always improve for the future.”
What area of your game have you seen the most improvement in since last season?
“I’ve improved a lot from last season mentally because I’ve gotten a whole lot better at watching film on our opponents and really breaking down their plays and knowing what my job is for each game.”
What are your maxes in the weight room?
“To be honest, I don’t really know my maxes at the moment because of the Covid-19 outbreak causing our schools to close. I wasn’t able to get my maxes in but I have been working hard in the weight room outside of school.”
Is there an NFL player that you try to model your game after?
“One NFL player that I do admire is JJ Watt. Not only because he is an absolute beast on the field, but he also plays a huge role in his community. I admired that when Houston went through a hurricane and many homes were destroyed, he helped tons of people that had lost almost everything. He is definitely a great guy.”
Do you have any college offers?
“So far, I have one offer to East Texas Baptist University, which made me extremely excited and I hope there are more to come.”
What other schools are showing you interest at this time?
“I’ve talked to a few coaches all over including Lamar University and Davidson College and they keep in touch with me. But no matter where I go, I will put 100 percent effort into the program and school for sure.”
Do you play any other sports at Parkway High School?
“I also play baseball for Parkway High School. I’m a first baseman, and I can pitch if I’m needed.”
What is your favorite subject in school and why?
“My favorite subjects in school are definitely math and science. I’m very good with numbers and equations, which apply in both of these subjects.”
Who has had the biggest impact on your football career?
“I will have to say my teammates and coaches that I’ve had around me my whole life have impacted my football career. Without any of them I would not be in the spot I am today.”
What do you like most about playing at Parkway High School?
“What I like most about playing at Parkway High School is the fact that I looked up to this school when I was younger watching Friday night football. We have such a great community here and it’s just awesome being able to play in front of all your friends and family.”
What are your goals for your senior season?
“My goals for my senior season are to do my absolute best on the field to help my team win at all cost. Last year was not a good season for the Panthers, but this year I think we are going to come out on top and prove everyone wrong about our program.”
What is your GPA?
“My GPA is a 4.0. This is one thing my mom has pushed me hard on and I am forever grateful for that. Without her pushing me, my grades wouldn’t be like this.”
Do you have a favorite quote?
““Success isn’t owned, it’s leased, and rent is due every day.” – JJ Watt. You can’t be successful unless you put the hard work in every day.”
Thank you for your time and good luck in your senior season.
“Thank you, sir.”
Photo credit: Twitter.com; Parkway DT Trent DeFatta makes a tackle against Benton