Game Day Feature: Lance Skyler
11/4/2015 12:00:00 AM | Football
This story originally ran in the October 31st football game program against Incarnate Word. Pick up your game program each home game for feature stories on your favorite Lumberjack football players.
The Founder of Sack City
Entering the 2015 season, one of the most talked about position on the SFA roster was the Lumberjacks’ veteran defensive line. And for good reason.
Three seniors and a junior were back from a unit that ranked among the national leaders in both tackles for loss and sacks in 2014 as to date, the quartet has combined for 376 tackles, 50.5 tackles for loss and 23.0 sacks during their Lumberjack careers.
The leader of that group is senior Lance Skyler, who has put up some impressive stats of his own. 124 tackles, 16.5 tackles for loss and seven sacks in 42 games at SFA as the 6-2, 285 pound defensive tackle has etched out his own reputation.
However, Skyler’s size and speed weren’t always an advantage.
The Lancaster native began playing football in the fifth grade, taking up his friends on the invitation to join the team. He played for the DeSoto Tigers for one season, until his football career was temporarily put on hold.
“My career almost ended in the sixth grade,” Skyler recalled. “I was too big to play little league. You couldn’t be over 190 pounds, and I was at 198. And I’ll admit it - I cried. I just wanted to play. I tried to lose the weight, but the lowest I could get down to was 194. So I had to wait until junior high to play again.”
But the love of the game, and his natural athletic ability, brought Skyler back. A gifted athlete, he was always one of the fastest on the field as he was also a member of the track team, running the 200 meter dash and was a member of the 4x100 and 4x200 meter relay teams.
Once he was able to rejoin the football team in the seventh grade, Skyler took advantage of the opportunity. He played both offensive tackle and linebacker growing up before finding his niche on the defensive side of the ball.
As Skyler continued to grow and learn the position, he became one of the top players in the DFW area. A four-time all-district selection, Skyler earned high praise from a number of outlets, being named a three-star recruit by ESPN and earning two stars from Scout.com.
While he excelled individually during his prep career, his team struggled, despite having some of the area’s top talent. For Skyler, it was a powerful lesson about the importance of teamwork.
“We were a talented team, but were very undisciplined,” Skyler said. “We sent a bunch of players to some big time college programs, like Oklahoma, Texas Tech, North Texas, but we had a difficult time playing together as a team. The furthest we ever got was the first or second round of the playoffs, even though talent wise, we were one of the best in the state.”
As his senior year came to a close, a number of schools had their eyes on Skyler, including Northern Illinois, Arkansas State and New Mexico. But none of those were really on his radar for one simple reason.
“I wanted to stay in Texas,” Skyler said. “That was my main goal. Everything I want is here.”
One school from Texas that did express interest was Sam Houston State, a school that Skyler originally verbally committed to after a recruiting trip. He had already scheduled a visit to SFA, one the Bearkat coaches urged him not to take.
“They asked me why I wanted to go visit SFA, and seemed nervous,” Skyler recalls. “That caught my interest and just made me want to visit here more. I took my visit, met some of the coaches and players and knew this was where I wanted to be.”
But the early days weren’t exactly what Skyler imagined. SFA became known not just for its explosive offense, but it’s questionable defense. It was something that didn’t sit well with Skyler and the rest of the defensive line, who vowed to change that perception.
“Once upon a time, we were just a bunch of individuals,” said Skyler. “Now we look out for each other and do whatever we can to help each other succeed. We spend a lot of time together outside of football, and we basically have become our own family.”
The unit has become so close that they’ve even coined a phrase for their unit - Sack City. It’s a moniker Skyler takes full credit for.
“I think I started Sack City,” Skyler said. “It was during fall camp and the offensive line started talking trash. (The defensive line) just smiled and said, al right, we can play that way too. So then we started dominating and getting a bunch of sacks, making sure to welcome them to Sack City each time. It just kind of stuck.”
As he’s progressed in his collegiate career, something his high school coaches told him has continued to echo in the back of his mind and help him maintain his perspective at SFA.
“One thing our coaches always use to say was to keep the door open for the next guy,” Skyler said. “Basically what that means to me is to do whatever I can to help others succeed and realize the same opportunities I’ve had.”
That leadership role is one that Skyler has continued to embrace, and one that has caused a strong unity among the Lumberjack defensive line.
“Once you become a junior, you pick an incoming freshman, and he pretty much becomes your child,” Skyler explained. “You have to raise them up and teach them what it takes to succeed in the program.”
That incoming freshman that Skyler took under his wing last season? Sophomore defensive end John Franklin, who notched four tackles for loss, including three sacks, in the win over 21st-ranked Southeastern Louisiana on October 17th.
And what was Skyler’s reaction following Franklin’s performance?
“It made me smile,” Skyler said. “When John got all those sacks, I pat him on the head and told him ‘just like Papa,’ and I passed him the crown. As of right now, John is the mayor of Sack City.”
With just a handful of games remaining, Skyler is looking to make the most of whatever time he has remaining. Once football is done, however, the Lancaster native is already focused on his next move.
While most former players think about being coaches or something that keeps them connected to the game, let’s just say Skyler has something different in mind.
“I want to get a job so I can save up money to go to mortuary school,” Skyler explained. “I knew a girl whose father was into it and at first I thought it was a little weird. But then I realized that there weren’t many in the area I’m from and it would be a good way to make a decent living. Plus you’re never going to go out of business because people always die.”
Needless to say, Skyler seemed the right player to feature for a game played on Halloween.
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