THOMASVILLE — One too many concussions ended Dustin Heard’s playing career. It didn’t take away his love for football, however.

Returning back to his alma mater this year, Heard has been coaching alongside his father, Cliff Heard, on Thomas County Central’s football team. It’s been an experience unlike any other for the one-time Yellow Jackets lineman.

“This has been awesome,” said Dustin, who had been playing at Greensboro College in Greensboro, N.C. “It’s been an amazing experience to come back, first year as a coach, and we’re sitting here 10-1 in the second round of the (Class AAAA) playoffs.”

Dustin Heard is going to school at Thomas University while student-teaching at Central. That allows him to serve as an assistant coach on Central’s football team. His primary job is coaching the tight ends. He also assists with the offensive linemen.

“He’s a valuable person to have because he’s close in age proximity to the kids,” Central coach Bill Shaver said. “He was a self-made offensive lineman because, when he came here to us when coach (Cliff) Heard moved here, we really didn’t have a position for Dustin. He kind of made himself into a really good offensive lineman. He gets to share his experience with the guys he’s coaching.”

Coaching has been ingrained in Dustin all of his life. His father has served as a high school coach for many years. Having his playing career cut short only reinforced what Dustin already knew — he was made for the sidelines.

“It’s awesome. I get to learn new stuff every day. I get to be around my dad and my brother,” said Dustin, whose brother, Caleb, is a senior defensive end. “I get to be around coaches I’ve known forever. It’s a great experience.

“I feel like there’s nothing else I could do. I feel like, if I was born to do anything, it’s this.”

Dustin’s proud father added, “This is an awful hard business to be into. If he didn’t love this game so much, I would try to discourage him from doing it, I think.

“I like that this is the life that he chose. I chose it for me and I wouldn’t do anything different,” Cliff Heard added. “It’s nice that he wants to do that.”

Dustin has brought experience, love for the game and a certain intensity to the practice field. In one practice, Dustin went into a four-point stance to try to teach the linemen a proper blocking technique. With no regard for his body, Dustin went toe-to-toe with his brother for a few memorable seconds. As their father points out, it wasn’t the first time they’ve had a battle.

“As he gets to my age, he’ll decide he can’t do that anymore because it hurts too much,” Cliff Heard joked. “Right now, he’s still young and has all that energy. He just loves it.

“They’ve been going at it since they were about three or four. That’s nothing new to me.”

Dustin estimated he has about another year before he’s able to coach full time. He already has the coaching pedigree. Experience will only come with time.

“He has a lot of words and wisdom that the kids will listen to because they know that he just finished playing,” Shaver said. “We’re very glad to have him.”