PITTSBURG, Kan. — For incoming Pittsburg State freshman Trey Derryberry, just getting into his room was probably the hardest part of his Wednesday.
After a couple of failed attempts, the freshman from Carthage finally got his door opened and also unlocked his start to Pitt State football.
Wednesday, 21 freshman checked into their dorm rooms and started meetings with the PSU coaching staff as veterans reported in the evening.
“I was just relieved to finally get my door open,” Derryberry, a 6-foot, 180-pound quarterback, said. “I’m still a little nervous ... all the newness.”
But, Derryberry didn’t take long to relax as his roommate, St. Mary’s-Colgan freshman Chas Smith arrived shortly after the Derryberry family checked in.
“It is kind of exciting to be out on my own,” Smith, a 5-9, 170-pound wide receiver, said. “If I need any help though, I can still just go home.”
Chas’ father, longtime Panther head football coach Chuck Smith was also able to take stock as he checked into the same dorms at Dellinger Hall, 39 years ago.
“It is a big step for these boys,” Chuck Smith said. “It’s a step towards independence.”
The main thought for Derryberry and Chas Smith was, not so much moving in, but getting their college football careers started.
“It’s weird but it is started to sink in a little bit,” Derryberry said.
As the parents talked and reminisced about their sons, Chas and Trey looked over their room and started to plan out what to do with their space. Football was also a topic of conversation between the players.
Between moving their things all the way up to the fifth floor of Dellinger Hall and starting the process of getting to know one another, Derryberry and Chas Smith already started developing a friendship, just in the first 30 minutes of actually meeting each other.
“Right now, I don’t know him that well but your roommate can be your best friend so, I am really looking forward to that,” Chas Smith said.
As for the parents, as expected, saying ‘good-bye’ was even harder than lugging clothes and microwaves up five floors.
“I’ve been excited in getting everything ready but, when we leave, it is going to be hard,” said Derryberry’s mother Rhonda.
Players started team meetings Wednesday night and opened up practice at 7 p.m. Thursday at Carnie Smith Stadium.
