Norman North High School student-athlete Kasen Lea calls himself “vocal and focused.”
“If any of my teammates are doing something wrong, I am usually the first guy to let him know,” Lea said. “I always want to do what’s best for the team and stay focused on what I can do for myself and others to improve our chances at any given moment.”

Lea starred on the line for Norman North’s football team this year. His contributions helped the Timberwolves make a playoff appearance.

“I feel like we had a great season, but I wished we could’ve made a better push in the playoffs,” Lea said.

His journey to football success was sparked by a fortuitous junior year. He’d always been a “pretty big guy, but two years ago, Lea’s ascent began.

“I would say that the improvement I have had since my 10th-grade year is my best accomplishment,” Lea said. “I have put on about 40 pounds since then and gotten faster and stronger. All of that along with my technique getting better has made me a much better player than I was.”

His junior year, he realized he could have a legitimate shot at playing at the college level. “I really saw everything I could do with my size and athleticism,” Lea said.

Since then, Lea has received several collegiate offers. Colorado State-Pueblo recently sent him one. Lea considers his work ethic to be one of his best assets.

“I think I do a lot of extra things that most players might not want to do. I have never been a guy to skip reps or say no to a challenge,” Lea said. “I think all of the extra work I have put in is the reason I have been so successful in the past couple seasons. I think the way I can learn from my mistakes and improve on them is something that makes me different than most.”