Demerick Gary went to sleep Friday slightly nervous. Typical butterflies, almost as if he were once again stepping on the field the following day.

In all fairness, he will be. In a different role and with a different calling, but stepping on the field nonetheless.

This weekend marks the 2020 football opener for a variety of larger-classification Texas high school programs. North Crowley High School will open its season Friday night against cross-town rival Crowley High.

Throwing records out the window, that rivalry is always one that creates legitimate buzz. With it being the first game of the season, it will be the much-anticipated debut for a few North Crowley players.

It'll also be the debut for Gary, the 22-year-old defensive lineman who will be the defensive ends coach for the Panthers.

"I'm coaching defensive ends on varsity, and I'm the freshman defensive coordinator," Gary told The HillTopics of his new role. "Crazy, right?"

Crazy? Depends on who you talk to.

Doable? Absolutely.

A story in itself? Indubitably.

Six months ago, Gary had NFL dreams. All he ever wanted was a chance, because every chance he's been given, he's stepped up and grabbed the moment.

It happened at Kimball High School in Oak Cliff. It happened at SMU. When he lined up at defensive tackle, he delivered. His face was on a "Born and Raised" billboard last year, and he was a part of an SMU defense that was among the nation's leaders in sacks.

After his senior season at SMU, Gary waited for an NFL call. He waited. And waited some more. That call never came.

"It was God trying to tell me something -- but it was like I kept trying to fight it," said Gary.

COVID-19 hit in March and shut down athletics on multiple levels -- including SMU's pro day. Gary wasn't invited to February's NFL Combine in February in Indianapolis, so his opportunity to impress pro scouts -- scheduled for March 26 on the SMU campus -- never happened.

Gary was put in an unfortunate situation, and he turned to his spiritual side for guidance. In some ways, it felt like God's trust and support from his family was all he had.

"I'm big on my religion, so I searched for answers," Gary said. "When it came to the NFL, there were no signs of me playing. We could go down the list of giving me that opportunity, and it never happened."

Playing football was the end of one chapter. Coaching football starts another.

Gary had reached out to a few mentors, one being SMU defensive line coach Randall Joyner, and he got the advice of networking with as many college coaches he could think of. He knew if he couldn't play in the NFL, he wanted to coach players who could ultimately have that opportunity to be NFL athletes.

Gary, however, wasn't sure at first if he wanted to coach high school football, as he originally had interest in coaching on the college level. But he decided to study for his teacher's certificate, and he earned it early in the summer.

From there, he received a call from North Crowley head coach Courtney Allen in what he described "out of the blue." An offer to join the team was extended. Gary accepted.

Say hello to the new North Crowley defensive ends coach.

"My time playing is over, I truly believe that, but it's not in a bad way," Gary said. "I knew it was my time more and more because God was getting ready for the next part of my life. And this is the next part of my life.

"When Coach Allen asked if I wanted to coach, I told him I was ready right then and there. It really did feel right with the North Crowley job. I feel like God will let you know when it's time for different things."

As the Panthers prepare for their first game of the year, Gary has one goal for his players: To make them better young men. Becoming better athletes is a plus, but producing better student-athletes and overall leaders and community role models is his primary objective.

A big part of Gary choosing to coach at North Crowley was because of the students he'd see on a daily basis. More than three-quarters of the school's student population are either Black or Hispanic. More than half of the population is Black. Gary said it's a chance to make an impact on young individuals who look like him -- on the field, and especially off it.

"When I was playing, I'd tell younger guys not to make their lives all about football," Gary said. "I'm trying to make sure I'm developing guys who will be great men in life. We're just doing all that through football.

"It's bigger than football. It's been bigger than football, and it'll always be bigger than football."

Consider that one of the many lessons Gary teaches in the first year of what he's hoping will be a long, fulfilling career on the sidelines.