SEATTLE – By the time Caleb Berry received his offer from the University of Washington a handful of Southeastern Conference and Big 12 programs had already hosted him for a visit.
However, the Huskies decided to wait for a specific date to offer the 6-foot-2, 215-pound running back; his birthday.
In the preceding months Keith Bhonapha, who signed another back from the state of Texas in the 2019 recruiting class, Jay'Veon Sunday, began to develop a relationship with Berry. As it grew so too did UW on his list of schools.
Berry received his first scholarship offer (technically) from the University of Arkansas on Nov. 8, 2019. Two days later the school terminated head coach Chad Morris and replaced him with Georgia assistant head coach / offensive line coach Sam Pittman.
The Razorbacks re-offered the Lufkin High School (Lufkin, Tex.) standout roughly two months later. In between the Arkansas offers, Nebraska joined the mix and hosted Berry for a junior day visit on Jan. 25, 2020.
Unbeknownst to Berry and his family, that would be one of only three visits he would be able to take before the Covid-19 pandemic shutdown trips for recruits in March 2020. Prior to the visit lockdown, Berry was able to see Arkansas and the University of Houston.
Naturally, the Razorbacks and Cornhuskers became the early favorites to land his commitment.
On the day off his offer from the Huskies – May 3, 2020 – Berry stated as much.
“Nebraska, that was my top school, honestly,” he said. “I felt welcomed. The fans they made me feel welcome when I got down there. I just like the environment how I felt down there. I’m cool with the coach, I got a good relationship with him. He texts me more than some coaches. We built our bond it’s pretty strong.”
Until Bhonapha and UW head coach Jimmy Lake came knocking with the offer, Berry was going to bruise Big 12 defenders for the next four years. As his family began sorting through his options it became clear that his future wouldn’t be close to home.
Berry has trained most of his young adult life with Victor Machado, more commonly known as coach Vic. Coincidentally, Machado also trains Ja’Lynn Polk, an incoming transfer wide receiver from Texas Tech who also came out of Lufkin.
The Red Raiders made a push for Berry as well, but the Huskies ultimately won out and secured his pledge on July 2, 2020.
“Washington runs a pro-style offense,” Machado said at the time of Berry’s commitment.
“Washington puts guys in the league. Washington has an incredible fan base. Are we talking about Texas Tech? I mean, come on. The tradition is nothing to compare. Why are you going so far away? It’s irrelevant. That’s the best fit, the best school.
“To be honest the coaches are the best. I love the coaches at Washington. It’s just the best fit. Best system. Best coaches. Great academics. You get a degree from Washington that’ll look good on any resume.”
Chill Berry
Being raised in southeast Texas is much different than life in the Upper Left. The perception of Seattle in most cases is it rain, grey, and if you’re lucky the sun will come out. Reality is much different.
Nevertheless, for a bruising running back who has to carry the ball 20-plus times a game playing in mid 60-degree weather is a match made in football heaven.
“That’s what Caleb’s excited about,” Machado said. “He’s been playing football – training and playing in 100-degree Texas heat his whole life. He’s going to go up there and run the ball 20 times in 60, 70-degree weather? Oh man. That boy ain’t never gonna get tired up there.”
That, even-keel, handle your business and keep it moving mentality is how Caleb Berry has carried himself throughout his life.
When athletes get to a certain level, often at the professional and to a degree even in college, the circle around them has to shrink to keep the train moving full-speed ahead. Even if that means cutting out a good friend.
His trainer explained.
“I’ll put it like this; I trained at least 10-15 kids every year full-time. And him, this year, and one last year (Ja’Lynn Polk) are the only two that they separate themselves without somebody having to make them.
“He (Berry) had a friend, best friend on the football team who is pretty good. Got some scholarship offers. Well, this offseason he hasn’t been training. He’s been smoking weed. He’s been drinking and partying. Caleb – this was literally his best friend last year – stopped fooling with him. I saw Caleb one time and just asked him about it.
“He was like, ‘I can’t fool with him’. I was like ‘why’ – I already know what the kid is doing. I want to see what Caleb has to say. He’s like ‘man I ain’t going to do all that. That’s all he wants to do is do dumb stuff.”
Berry would text Machado first thing in the morning during the summer to get their training session in.
He made sure the two stuck to their yoga routine. Much like he is with a ball tucked in his forearm, if you’re not there he’s going to run passed either way and get where he needs to be.
Derrick Henry’s Doppelganger
You’ll be hard pressed to find another player with a similar build and mentality that fits the mold of the former Alabama running back and 2015 Heisman Trophy winner than Caleb Berry.
Henry, listed between 235 and 240-pounds while a member of the Crimson Tide, is the finished product of what Berry hopes to evolve himself into.
“I feel like I’m a downhill runner. I can catch the ball. I can make plays. I’m not too big of a trucking – I’ll run through somebody but to prevent injury I’d do a quick juke. I have breakaway speed. I feel like it’s kind of hard to take me down sometimes.”
He added, “when I’m feeling right I’m focused.”
That mentality, in part, is what kept Berry on the field after he suffered a leg injury in week six against New Caney, which forced him to miss the remainder of his senior season, effectively ending his high school career. The Panthers earned a 13-7 win in overtime, something that meant a little more to the senior that night.
“It shocked me. I think I hurt myself before I got tackled wrong,” Berry said early last November after his injury. “I was just trying to play through it because I had just come back from a concussion. I was like ‘I need to stay in’ because the game was important. If we lost, we wouldn’t have got a spot in the playoffs.”
Lufkin lost the following weekend but went on to win their next three games before losing in the first round of the playoffs 41-5 to Longview. Berry recovered from his leg injury six weeks after the initial diagnosis and this past Sunday he moved in to his dorm at UW, where he’ll be roommates with freshman quarterback Sam Huard.
He’ll be able to fully participate in spring practices once they commence on April 7. When he gets the ball for the first time in Purple and Gold, no matter when it is, he’ll be ready.
“I see little stuff,” Berry said, when asked to describe the view from his eyes when the ball is in his hands.
“We run at them (defenses) a lot. Because I’m a big body they’re not going to tackle me. Doing that, toughen them up. I’m pretty strong – I’ve work myself hard enough so I’m able to play all four quarters.
"Wear them down at first. Then in the second half that’s when I pull out my big runs.”
