When you’re from a small town, they say everyone knows your name. When you’re from a small town AND you are part of a celebrity family, everyone really does know your name.
Such is the case for the Drummonds in the small northern Oklahoma town of Pawhuska. The Drummonds are well-known cattle ranchers in the area, and Ree Drummond has achieved fame as the popular blogger and Food Network television personality The Pioneer Woman.
Recently, the Drummonds have also been known for producing good high school football quarterbacks. Bryce recently enjoyed a stellar high school career and is currently a linebacker at North Texas. Todd is wrapping up his junior year of high school, his first as the starting signal caller for the Huskies.
“We’re nothing special,” said Drummond with a shrug regarding his family’s popularity. “In everybody’s eyes in our town, I’m just the quarterback on the football team and the guy that will go and play basketball at the park. I don’t think we’re too special in Pawhuska.”
Drummond’s modesty is admirable, but after putting up big numbers last fall, he proved himself to in fact, be special. He threw for 3,685 yards yards and 50 touchdowns and led Pawhuska to an 11-3 record and the Class A semifinals.
“At the start of last season, I’ll be honest with you, I wasn’t a very good quarterback,” admitted Drummond. “I really worked hard and got in the film room and I think I made some big strides.”
The 6-4, 190-pound, pro-style quarterback recently took part in the Prep Redzone Oklahoma camp in Jenks where he got to participate in drills, compete against his peers and play in front of several college coaches.
“Right now, I’m working on my footwork and progressing on my reads faster,” said Drummond, who lists Matt Ryan and Joe Burrow as two of his favorite quarterbacks. “I’m trying to get the mental aspect of the game down a little better. I’m also working on gaining some weight and getting faster so I can try to carry the workload a little more and take the stress off my running backs and receivers.”
Along with Drummond’s gaudy personal numbers, the Huskies averaged more than 40 points in four postseason games last season. Drummond and the Huskies rolled through the playoffs before suffering a heartbreaking 35-31 loss to eventual state champion Cashion.
“Coach (Matt) Hennesy has installed a culture in us that has our mind set on winning,” added Drummond. “Anything short of a gold ball is disappointing in our eyes.”
Along with Hennesy’s coaching, Drummond has also benefited from former Locust Grove and North Texas star Mason Fine, who holds the Oklahoma high school career passing yards (13,081) and touchdown passes (166) records. He was also Conference USA’s Player of the Year in 2017 and 2018 while passing for 12,505 yards and 93 touchdowns for the Mean Green. Most recently, Fine was a member of the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the Canadian Football League.
“My sophomore year, Mason was my quarterback coach,” recalled Drummond. “He moved to Pawhuska. He really helped us out. He was fresh off of playing college football. He had seen every coverage in the book. He was mentally sharp as a knife. He put us through some drills and helped us with some stuff that I really didn’t think of before he came.”
After taking over the reins at quarterback this year, Todd received encouragement from big brother Bryce throughout the season.
“My brother and I, we have a very close relationship when it comes to football,” admitted Todd. “I’m really thankful for him. Before some of the biggest games of the season, he would shoot me a text and give me advice. He’d say, ‘Hey, you’ve got this. Just know that you are the best quarterback on whatever field you step on.’“
“He really gave me some confidence,” added Todd. “I’m very thankful for that.”
As for his famous mom, don’t be fooled by her sweet exterior. When it comes to football, she’s all about those Friday Night Lights.
“She is ALL IN on football,” claimed Drummond with a chuckle. “I think she’s more concerned with me getting too competitive and trash talking than getting hurt.”
