CHESAPEAKE, VA (WTKR)- Football has always been part of Lord Malik Heru's life. The Indian River quarterback remembers starting in the game early in his childhood.
"I started when I was four, so it's been my whole life," he smiled.
If you think about it, that wasn't that long ago in the grand scheme of things. Now a freshman in high school, Heru is already the Braves' starting quarterback, adjusting to the high school level while being at the forefront of every offensive play. Plenty of pressure, right?
"Not really for me because I always played up in age group my whole life, so this is pretty normal for me," Heru pointed out. "It's a little bit grittier, more competitive, but it's still a game of football."
That's a game he's showing he can play quite well on the big stage. Heru has the makings of a star and the name to go along with it. His high school debut against Granby saw the freshman complete all 15 of his pass attempts and account for five total touchdowns. He's guided Indian River to a 4-1 start and head coach Brandon Carr is watching him grow into a force on the gridiron before his eyes.
"Early on I was surprised, but when I saw the way that he works, the way that he attacks it with his preparation, not shocked one bit when he hits this field on Friday night," Carr said.
Quarterback and leader go hand-in-hand. Some at his age might be overwhelmed with the responsibility of it all, but Heru says he doesn't have any problems putting the team on his back when necessary.
"He's done a phenomenal job," Carr noted. "He's a kid that, when the whistle blows, he's the first one on the line, the first in line for everything. He's leading by example."
"It's pretty normal, to be honest, because I always had to lead my team," pointed out Heru. "But I still want to give credit to everybody on my team because everybody has to do their one of 11."
The Braves' quarterback is playing above his years and it's pretty exciting for Indian River to think that he's only a freshman. Carr won't discuss if Heru's ceiling, but Hampton Roads should enjoy seeing Lord Malik work hard to become king of the 757 gridiron.
"It is exciting, because I know I'm only going to get better from here," the quarterback said.
"Let's all just sit back and watch it, let's enjoy this ride," smiled Carr. "Let's just all sit back and watch it. I think it's going to be pretty fun to watch."
Heru and Indian River host Nansemond River Friday at 7 p.m.
