TEMPLE, TX — Temple ISD has a reputation of producing stellar students and talented athletes, but one of their 2021 graduates has brains and brawn.
Cody Little is a Temple High school senior that will be graduating within the next few days, but in just a few years he has made his mark on Temple High.
Little said, “I do a little bit of everything. I'm not exactly something that fits in one group.”
Little is what some would call a floater in high school. His interest and hobbies span far wider than the stereotypical high school student.
One of Little’s biggest passions is music. Throughout the past few years, he has been singing and playing multiple instruments for the school's concert band.
“Music came a little more naturally, but especially with choir, the self-confidence that comes through that having to sing solos on stage. It's something that you can really use later in life with the confidence and how you're able to speak in front of different crowds,” he said.
Little uses the confidence he built with band and channeled it in sports. This senior smashing the stereotypes, dabbling in the arts and wreaking havoc on the gridiron. Little starting on the junior varsity football team his freshman year.
“I ended up gaining 40 pounds that year for football. It was just, there's a level of brotherhood,” said Little.
Dexter Knots Cody’s Coach and Defensive Coordinator Temple Football, said Little is an impressive kid and commits fully to everything he does.
“It's not very common that a kid can do, you know what he is doing. Cody is one of those guys that I mean, he's going to do everything right. You don't have to worry about him being missing from practice, you don't have to worry about where he's going to be,” said Knots.
Knots said Little was a defensive linebacker and was an incredible talent on the field. Little moved to varsity his junior year while keeping up with his commitment to band.
“He's a well-rounded kid, a very intelligent kid. And, you know, he's going to, he's going to go some places,” said Knots. “I mean, it's especially kept up with his grades. I think that's one of the most important things. I mean, he's, he's truly a student-athlete. I mean, he has straight A grades, and then on top of that, he's in football, he's in the choir, you know, he's doing all of that in his extra time. So, it's very impressive.”
Coach Knots was so impressed with Little and his worth ethic, he did not hesitate to write a letter of recommendation letter that would ultimately get him accepted into the U.S. Naval Academy.
“I know, he went through a lot of hard work, you know, writing papers, getting signatures, all that to get into the Naval Academy,” Knots said.
Little is a part of the 8% of applicants who’ve gotten accepted into the Naval Academy.
“A lot is going to change, I will have all my hair gone and I'm going to be under a lot of, probably a lot of pain, but I think we'll all be for the better. There's a lot on coming up on my plate, but I think I'm ready for it through all the different things that I've done, the supporting cast I've had around me,” said Little.
As this piano-playing, football-singing future military leader walks out of Temple High for the last time, he encourages you to go big and be a jack of all trades in your own way.
Little said, “ It may be cliche but follow your heart and I mean, I think most of the time will turn out better than not, you know.”
