BGHS grad Thompson battling for starting spot at WKU

This should be the payoff time for Terrion Thompson.
The Western Kentucky junior defensive lineman has earned that – first by winning his spot on the roster as a walk-on, then battling time on the field and ultimately in the spring receiving that scholarship.
So maybe it is a payoff at last for the former Bowling Green High School standout, but Thompson knows the work must continue as he pushes for an even bigger role on the Hilltoppers’ defense.
“Our D-line group is very deep, so this fall camp I’m fighting for a starting job,” Thompson said during WKU’s football media day. “It’s a lot of competition, so I’ve got to work hard for it.”
Thompson’s work has continued to escalate since his days as a Purple, during which he was a four-year starter and tallied 128 career tackles along with seven sacks and five fumble recoveries for that perennially successful program.
No Division I scholarship offers awaited after Thompson finished up at BGHS, but he did do enough to get a chance – former WKU defensive tackles coach Kenny Martin saw the untapped potential there. That chance to walk on and stay in his home town was enough for Thompson.
“It’s home, so I felt like the support was a little better,” Thompson said. “I have more people around me who I know, who I can reach out to. And then really because our old D-line coach, coach Martin, reached out to me and when he did that it was like he was giving me a chance to do something. He believed in me enough to where I could be on this team, I could be on a Division I football team.”
An arduous climb awaited Thompson, who like any walk-on had to constantly prove he belonged at the Division I level. As a freshman in 2020, he was nowhere near playing time – Thompson spent the entire season on the Tops’ practice squad, grinding through those daily sessions to help his teammates get game-ready.
That first experience at WKU was eye-opening for Thompson, who realized he needed to take his effort to an entirely new level.
“My work ethic,” Thompson said of what he had to improve to play at WKU. “I worked hard during high school, but it was more of just doing it because I wanted to play football. I didn’t really think of it as a way for me to get school paid for. I wasn’t really thinking about the school aspect of it. I was thinking of straight football.
“So coming here, it’s like yes, I’m an athlete, but school can take me a long way. In order to get that paid for, I’ve got to work harder, do better on the field and in the classroom.”
Thompson credits the veterans on that team, specifically former WKU defensive linemen Jeremy Darvin as a “big mentor” along with Ricky Barber (now at Central Florida) with helping sharpen his skills.
“I’m fortunate that when I got here, the older guys were all supportive and just helped me with little things to help me make sure I’d get to where I am right now – which is on scholarship,” Thompson said.
The COVID-19 pandemic allowed Thompson to retain his freshman status in 2021, and he worked his way up to the game-day roster, appearing in six games and tallying a pair of tackles.
Then came last year, the big breakthrough – Thompson forced his way into regular rotation work on the defensive line, appearing in all 14 games for the Tops. He finished the season with 21 tackles, including a pair of sacks.
Thompson tallied a career-high four tackles in WKU’s 73-0 home win against FIU on Sept. 24, and notched sacks in back-to-back games in victories against Charlotte and Rice.
The latest milestone came in the spring, when WKU head coach Tyson Helton put Thompson on scholarship.
“It was tough for the first couple years, just battling through and also having to pay for school, pay for classes, pay for all that – pay for housing,” Thompson said. “It was worth it, though. It was worth it ... the journey, people I’ve met, people I’ve been friends with now. Coach Helton has also helped me out a lot. He was a big supporter of me in my journey.”
The 6-foot, 285-pound Thompson is focused on putting on more weight, maybe up to 10 pounds, as he works to win a starting spot. Thompson is aiming for the noseguard position, right in the middle of the action.
From walk-on to scholarship player and potential starter is a long road, but Thompson is determined to show it is a path he can complete.
“The defense relies on that person right in front of the center,” Thompson said. “If that noseguard isn’t doing his job the best, then the defense isn’t going to be able to operate the best. So I feel like that extra little pressure of me having to be perfect and dominate is what I really like about it the most.”