TF17

The sun was shining bright and excitement was high in Nassau as the Blue Raiders prepared for the 2021 Bahamas Bowl. Lee De Leon was in line at a burger bar and turned around to start talking to one of the football players behind him. De Leon thought he was extremely friendly and the two exchanged names.

“I'm Tra Fluellen, I just transferred in from Houston Baptist,” the football player said.

De Leon then told him, “Oh my gosh, you know my friend Jeff Mills.”

Fluellen pulled out his phone and facetimed De Leon’s friend, and his former coach.

Before stepping into his position as MT Athletics Deputy Athletic Director, De Leon was told he had to meet Fluellen. Jeff Mills, one of Lee’s closest friends, was the Defensive Coordinator at Houston Baptist and spoke very highly of Fluellen, calling him one of his favorite players he’s ever coached.

Tra Fluellen is a Sophomore Safety from Gilmer, Texas. He spent his first two years at Houston Baptist, totaling 101 tackles in his freshman season alone. This gained him a finalist position for the Jerry Rice Award, which is given to the top FCS Freshman.

In 2021 Fluellen came to MTSU for his third year of play. When asked about his why behind the transfer, he said, “Ultimately, I transferred here for the opportunity. It was an easy decision. Coach Shafer has the defense set up for safeties to succeed, they’ve been the top tacklers. Why would I not choose this place?”

Head Coach Rick Stockstill spoke very highly of Fluellen, saying “Tra has tremendous work ethic in all that he does, from school to ball to lifting weights and his preparation for games. He is a true professional in how he lives his life and handles things that are on his plate.”

After a conversation at the burger bar, De Leon was able to get a glimpse of Fluellen’s uplifting personality, and this continued to be shown through his relationship with Luke, De Leons’s seven year old son.

Luke wasn’t into sports before meeting Fluellen. De Leon took his two sons down to the sidelines at the Bahamas Bowl game, and Fluellen saw them and high fived the boys. After the win, everyone was celebrating and Fluellen picked up Luke for a team photo.

Ever since then, the two have a special bond, always smiling and laughing as they sit together at Blue Raider basketball games.

Fluellen's influence on the younger generation is not just limited to Luke. In high school, his dad had work outside of Texas, which put the responsibility of taking care of his two younger siblings on his plate. After school, Fluellen would go to work and then come home to watch his brothers. Between being a four sport athlete, playing football, basketball, tennis, golf, and running track, on top of school, and having a job, he was able to mature and truly learn who he is as a person.

As far as working hard and driving to succeed, Fluellen said, “When you build the love on (football) so young, why not shoot for the stars? I have an opportunity. I have two little brothers who need a standard.”

When it comes to being a teammate, everyone can always count on Fluellen to encourage them.

Quarterback and lockermate of Fluellen, Nick Vattiato, said “if you're at practice or in the weight room, you're going to hear Tra and it's always going to be positive.”

During the 35-10 win over Southern Miss, starting quarterback Chase Cunningham suffered a leg injury that caused him to miss the rest of the season. Vattiaito stepped up and led the Blue Raiders to a bowl win in the Bahamas.

When asked about Fluellen's presence in Vattiato’s transition, the quarterback said, “He couldn't have been more happy for me. We talked almost every day about this opportunity.”

Tra Fluellen is the perfect example of what it means to be an athlete who loves their university well. Defensive end and teammate of Fluellen Jordan Ferguson said, “He isn’t here just to play football. Tra is that guy who goes to other sport’s games and is involved in organizations.”

On any given day, Fluellen can be found in the student union on campus talking to different students, because for him, there isn't a divide between athletes and everyone else on campus.

Ultimately, Tra Fluellen's motto is “Never Change.” Whether that's who he is, what he wants to be, he will alway be chasing greatness and staying humble while doing it.