By Kiara Doyal
The Seattle Medium
Brothers Cordè and De’Vion Frazier have grown up competing against each other, pushing one another to improve and sharing a love of football that now brings them together as teammates at Franklin High School. Cordè, a senior wide receiver and defensive back, and De’Vion, a sophomore quarterback, are working to help Franklin achieve its first winning season in years while pursuing their own dreams of playing football at the next level.
For the brothers, football has grown from a childhood pastime into a shared journey built on competition, leadership and the desire to leave a lasting mark at Franklin. Their father, DeRonn Frazier, has watched their development from the very beginning.
For Cordè, the love of football started with the excitement of the game itself.
“I loved just being able to run around and have fun,” said Cordè. “I used to watch football on the TV, and I would see somebody do something cool and I would go to my room and try the same thing every time on commercial break.”
Over the years, that childhood excitement has turned into a deeper love for the game. Now a senior, Cordè has grown from a young player who was once afraid of contact into someone who embraces the physical side of football.
“My journey is going great. It is going how I want my journey to be, as in moving past my obstacles and doing great things on the field,” Cordè said. “I see myself growing every day. When I first started football, I was scared of being hit or getting hit, and here we are my senior year, and I love to hit, and it’s hard for me to get tackled.”
Having his younger brother on the same team has made the experience even more meaningful. For Cordè, their connection gives them an advantage that extends beyond their individual talent.
“Having my little brother on the field with me is amazing; it’s like having another eye out there. It’s hard to stop me, but both of us getting stopped is very unlikely,” Cordè said. “We both have very special talent in sports, and we use that to our advantage, which is what makes us competitive and compete with each other on and off the field.”
De’Vion describes their relationship as one built largely on encouragement, even with their competitive nature.
“We are encouraging each other for the most part,” said De’Vion. “But it is a little bit of both encouragement and competing with each other.”
Whether they are competing in practice, at school or over something as simple as getting home first, Cordè said their desire to win never takes a break.
“I would say there is definitely a competitive side to us. We both love to win,” Cordè said. “And if we are against each other, we always compete no matter what it is from when we open our eyes to when we close them.”
Beyond that competition, Cordè recognizes his responsibility to lead his teammates. He focuses on helping others understand their assignments, building confidence and reminding the team that a game is never over until the final whistle.
“I would say I bring leadership, confidence, and hope to the team. My leadership skills I try to make sure the rest of my team knows what they are doing. I am always looking to help one of my teammates if they need help,” said Cordè. “My confidence is in the pregame talks, letting them know to not to be scared and to go hit something, and my guys love to hear that, and they execute the plan every time. Hope is a little similar to confidence, but having hope is when you come into the game and think, ‘Let’s win this’ instead of ‘I know we are going to lose.’”
For De’Vion, becoming a better player has meant staying consistent, learning from his coaches and developing as a leader.
“I realized I wanted to take football seriously when I saw how much the work I put in could change my game,” said De’Vion. “Since then, my journey has been about staying consistent and learning from my coaches.”
One of his biggest challenges has been learning to stay calm and take on more leadership responsibilities. He said that growth has also been one of the most rewarding parts of playing at Franklin.
“I have been able to work through those challenges with the help of coach green and coach miller, they both helped me a lot,” said De’Vion. “My favorite moment has been growing as a person and elevating my game.”
Their development is something their father, DeRonn, has witnessed since the brothers first started playing organized football with the West Seattle Wildcats at ages 5 and 6. He initially placed them in a weight-based youth league to see how they would handle the physical demands before moving them into more competitive play.
“I started them out in that league because I was unsure of their talent level and their toughness to be able to take a big hit,” DeRonn said. “But after that year of watching them play and noticing that they were the playmakers and big hitters, it was time to move to a league that was more competitive for them to see how they would develop on a more skilled team and level.”
Watching them grow into different roles while sharing the same competitive drive has been a unique experience for DeRonn.
“It’s been very fun and exciting, as it would be for any parent to have two kids play on the same team or the same sport. But for me, it’s like watching the same person twice in two different positions on the field,” DeRonn said. “They have the same drive, passion, aggressiveness, and competitiveness but two different roles.”
Now, he sees his sons beginning to understand the game at a deeper level and putting years of training into practice.
“I feel like they finally are developing in what I trained them on,” said DeRonn. “They’re getting it; they understand the game more. I feel like that’s what the next level is looking for, and they’re only getting better.”
Beyond football, DeRonn hopes his sons carry the lessons of leadership and accountability into adulthood, learning how to handle difficult situations even when things get tough.
“I hope it teaches them more leadership, accountability, and how to conduct themselves in difficult situations even when it hurts,” DeRonn said. “As for the future goal, I hope they do go to the next level, as in college, and succeed in the same journey and grow into the men I know they are.”
As the brothers continue their high school careers, they share a goal of helping Franklin reach new heights. De’Vion hopes to help the team finish with an 8-2 record, which would mark a significant accomplishment for a program seeking its first winning season in years. He also hopes to pursue college football opportunities and become a hometown hero.
“Franklin has not had a season like that in a while, and I want to accomplish that,” said De’Vion. “I want to get to the next level and hopefully be the next hometown hero.”
Cordè has similar ambitious goals. He wants to make Franklin’s record books, help the program secure a winning season and earn interest from college football programs. His dreams beyond high school reflect his belief that success begins with being willing to aim high.
“The bigger dreams I have for myself and Franklin are just to be successful, follow my path of going to the NFL and then switching to the NBA because I truly think anything is possible. Then coming back to Franklin and get a banner like Mario Bailey, Peyton Siva, Aaron Brooks, and plenty more,” Cordè said. “And talking about how the hard path is just the only obstacle you need to get over before it gets easy if you shoot for the stars and if you don’t get there at least you’re in space is how I look at it.”
