Menu

Horned Frogs Huddle

New to Funkytown

August 8, 2024

They come from Australia to Azle, Baylor to Boise State. Meet the newest Horned Frog football players who now call Fort Worth home.

Ken Seals

Quarterback — Azle, Texas

Ken Seals, who is wearing a purple TCU football jersey, flashes the "go frogs" hand sign with his left hand as he holds a football with his right. He's standing alongside his father to his left and his mother to his right.

Ken Seals with his parents, Corinna and Robert Seals. Courtesy of TCU Athletics

When you transfer schools, no one knows who you are or what you’ve gone through. At my previous school, I had a great freshman year. I started every game and broke the freshman record for yards, touchdowns and completion percentage.

But the following season, I broke my finger, hip and shoulder and sat out for the rest of the year. As a junior, I was benched as the third-string quarterback.

After thriving as the center of attention for the first half of my career, I would walk the halls, and no one even noticed I was there.

Criticism of me and my game came from the 90,000 people who were once praising me, and I learned I couldn’t listen to any voices but God’s.

When I started playing just for him, I narrowed my focus and stopped looking up in the stands. With a new mindset, I stayed for my senior season, and the games I played allowed me to transfer to TCU — my dream program.

Each of us is born to lead lives in the directions we’re called and find out the best way we can serve others. I’ve always been called to do so through football, but even when my goals became my reality, I was shocked.

I was devastated when I didn’t get an offer from TCU right out of high school. I always wanted to be a Horned Frog and had been to every football camp here since I was old enough to attend.

But no one who’s accomplished great things did so without failing first, and I’m ready to get some wins in Fort Worth this year.

Drake Dabney

Tight End — Cypress, Texas

Drake Dabney at TCU fall camp. The tight end is wearing a helmet with a head protector and a sticker across the front reading "Dabney." He's wearing a white practice jersey with the number 9 embroidered in purple across the front.

Drake Dabney totaled 552 receiving yards at Baylor last year, a single-season record for a Bears tight end. Photo by Lily Margaret Greenway

I don’t get too high, and I don’t get too low. I stay level-headed, which grounds me in times of celebration and helps me get my confidence back when I hit adversity.  

In 2022, I broke my fibula, and my season at my previous school was over in an instant. Even with all the hard work I put in, nothing is guaranteed, and I’m not entitled to anything.

My faith in God gives me a truer identity outside of football. How I play doesn’t change how I’m viewed in the Lord’s eyes. Knowing I cannot control the plan God has set out for me keeps me from stressing about what I can’t control. He has carried me through my entire football journey, and I know he won’t stop now.

The summer going into my junior year, I got my first offer to play college football. It was the first time I thought that I might be able to go somewhere with the sport I love. I fell in love with the process of focusing on my game, and my parents sacrificed everything for me to get where I am today. Their support and effort inspire me to give my all every day.

After earning my degree, I knew it was time for a fresh start. When I hit the transfer portal, TCU was the first school that called me. God bringing me to TCU — which is closer to my family — is an answered prayer.

Growing up, all of my friends played football together, and to be one of the guys who is still playing isn’t something that slips my mind. It’s easy to want to look far ahead to the NFL and work for the prospect of playing football for as long as I can, but I acknowledge what a blessing it is to be here right now. I’m proud to be at TCU.

Ethan Craw

Punter — Tasmania, Australia

Photograph of TCU punter Ethan Craw, in his white helmet, white practice uniform and black shorts, kicking a football at fall camp.

Ethan Craw kicking at fall camp. Photo by Lily Margaret Greenway

My family and I live by two sayings: “Never sweat the small stuff,” and “Finish on a win.”

We grew up playing basketball together and couldn’t leave the court until we ended on a good shot. I’ve always lived by our philosophy. Even when I have a rough practice, or when I’m upset with how I’m performing, I don’t stop punting until I’ve hit a nice ball. I let it all go and keep kicking through.

Tasmania is like a small town — everyone knows each other. So, when I moved to the States at 15, that was a culture shock.

I went to high school just outside of Auburn, Alabama, and learned that nothing beats Southern hospitality. I don’t know if it’s just because of my accent, but everyone is so nice. Although, it took me a while to get a hold of all the “yes-sir”s and “no ma’am”s. In Australia, we’re so casual that we call our teachers by their first names. That was something I quickly figured out was different here.

After high school, I moved to Brisbane and joined ProKick Australia in August 2021. Everyone there told me that if I wanted to play in America, I needed to move to Melbourne. So, I packed up with one of my mates, and trained there three times a week for a year.

That’s when Coach Tommerdahl started recruiting me. I would come home from practice, and my mailbox would have letters. And not just letters from Coach Tommerdahl but all the other TCU coaches investing in me.

Additionally, the previous punter and ProKick alum, Jordy Sandy, couldn’t speak more highly of Fort Worth. When I visited and saw our stadium, I knew there was nothing like it in Australia.  

I joke that Fort Worth has already left its mark on me. During the spring game, I held the ball as my mate, Caleb Sempebwa, made this really long field goal, and the whole team was jumping up and down around us afterward.

I hopped on Caleb’s back, his cleat went into my shin, and then my leg just started spitting blood. But it’s a cool scar and a constant reminder that I’m living my lifelong dream of playing with my family name on my back.

Eric McAlister

Wide Receiver — Azle, Texas

TCU student-athlete Eric McAlister, dressed in his Horned Frogs home football uniform and standing against a grey background, holds his 6-month-German shepherd, Duke.

Eric McAlister and his 6-month-old German shepherd, Duke. Courtesy of TCU Athletics

I’m kind of a clown, so not a lot of people know the effort I put into this game. I work hard so I can go out there and play freely, without the fear in the back of my mind of wondering if I’ll make a mistake. I already know I’ll make mistakes, but if I have hesitations, I know I’m going to fail more.

My motivational factor is just to be great. My family has worked hard to put me in this position, and I’m not gonna mess it up or let them down.

God has given me a great opportunity to be at TCU, so I run out on the field full speed knowing he’s taking care of me. That’s why I commit myself to always bringing the energy. When I face criticism in practice on or off the field, I take it, build on it and convert it into more energy.

My dog, Duke, is about as energetic as I am. When I’m not on the field, I’m hanging out with him — playing, going on walks, or stopping him from chewing things up. And I spend every minute I can with my family.

My transfer to TCU was all about coming back home. As soon as I hit the transfer portal, I knew exactly where I was coming. It was Fort Worth or nowhere.  

— As told to Lily Margaret Greenway

Editor’s Note: These responses have been edited for length and clarity.