BELLEVUE, Wash. — At Bellevue High School, there's tradition. And while ringing a bell on game day is one, another, is winning.
The state football semi-finals take place this Saturday. In the 3A, it will be O'Dea and Eastside Catholic in one semi-final, Roosevelt and Bellevue in the other.
The Bellevue Wolverines are the defending state champs and senior Demetri Manning is a big part of the team.
He is one of the top ranked offensive linemen in the country.
"His speed and his discipline for his size is really unique. I haven't seen too many big kids like that," said Bellevue head coach Michael Kneip.
Demetri Manning is 6-foot-8, 336 pounds and has an 83-inch wingspan. "I've always been a big kid. I mean, from kindergarten, I was the biggest one and then like in third grade, I knew I was the biggest when I was taller than my teacher. So, I mean, it was definitely like an awakening," said Manning.
Demetri first started playing football when he was 4 years old.
"Ever since that first day of practice of peewee football, I fell in love with it. So, it's been 13 years now, and it's been an amazing journey," said Manning. But when you're always the biggest kid on the field, there are some challenges.
"My mom, would have my birth certificate in her purse, like it was her ID. ... There was one game where I came out and they're like, you shouldn't be playing and my mom pulled the birth certificate," Manning said. "The coach was a little upset, and then, at the end of the first half, they forfeited."
While Manning has dealt with these situations in the past, "I've never been like, 'Oh man, I wish I was smaller.' I like being myself," he said.
Next year Manning will head to the University of Oregon. He plays with an edge in the trenches and loves to punish the one, two up to three guys that line-up across from him.
On the field, he's nasty; off the field, he's a big teddy bear. He said his mom warned him when he was younger that people may judge him or be rude to him because of his size, but also said not to let their words get to him, he said.
"For me, it's just to make a difference to people having a hard day, I try to make them feel better. I always try to cheer people up," said Manning. "Before I talk to anybody on the football team, I always walk through the front office and talk to everybody, give high fives and hugs."
"For a guy who came in as a sophomore, he's really embodied what the program stands for on and off the field. He's a role model and he is what the program stands for, which is hard work, discipline, he loves his family and loves his football family, he loves the school, loves the community, and he represents us in a great way on campus," said head coach Kneip.
Manning is the Big Man on Bellevue's campus. He also likes to dream big. His ultimate goal: play in the NFL.
His grandma passes away when he was in fifth grade. He said her only wish was for him to either continue playing football or do something involved with music; Manning used to play the trumpet, saxophone and drums.
"For a while, I was doing both, but then, I ended up gaining my love for sports, so I continued the football," Manning said. "And to get to the next level after high school is amazing, but I still have a lot, lot of work to come."