BEAUMONT, Texas — The Willie Ray Smith Awards are known as the Heisman Trophies of Southeast Texas, and it's also the way we wrap up the high school football season here in the 409.
On Monday night the community came together at the MCM Elegante in Beaumont for the 31st Annual Willie Ray Smith awards put on by the Beaumont Founders Lions Club.
The banquet featured keynote speaker Dock Rone who was the first African American to play football at the University of Alabama.
Following the speech it was time to announce the offensive award winner, and to no ones surprise, Silsbee's Drelon Miller heard his name called.
"I'm very excited and the felling I have right now is bursting through my heart. So I just couldn't thank the Lord enough for this amazing event and the Lions Club for hosting this amazing event."
So what does Miller do to follow it up in his senior season?
"Hopefully live up to it. It's always better to do it again. Hopefully next year I come back and do it all over again."
Moments later it was time to reveal the defensive award winner, and it turned out to be a clean sweep for Silsbee!
Lamar university signee Jayron Williams was announced as the Willie Ray Smith defensive player of the year.
"It feels amazing cause I got nominated last year, but I didn't get the results. I worked my butt off to get it this year, now I got it. So I'm excited for it"
Williams said the award means a lot to his family.
"It means a lot cause it was the one goal that I always came for since I was little. Just a goal I always wanted to have. So now I got it. So they're proud of me and that's all that matters."
Now the community can rally around a Willie Ray Smith award winner that has elected to stay home at Lamar University.
"I feel like they got somebody coming in. We've got a new coaching staff. We're going to turn this thing around for Lamar and see how it goes from there."