When McKinney’s Riley, Kyler and Cam Pettyjohn took the field together for the first time in the season opener against Frisco Emerson, they knew the moment was special, but what happens next? I could only imagine it.
As Emerson quarterback DJ Shelton rolled out of the pocket, three of McKinney’s linebackers swarmed him in sync, turning a routine sack into a family affair. Kyler crashed off the edge, the QB cut back to Riley, and Cam was forced to charge up the middle.
With nowhere to run, all three jumped on Riley and collapsed on top of him in what Riley’s father, Duke Pettyjohn, called the “Pettijohn Triangle”.
Riley, who attends Ohio State University, is the older cousin of brothers Cam and Kyler. Riley has been on varsity since his sophomore season, while Kyler, a junior, and Cam, a sophomore, are competing for the first time this year.
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“It’s great to grow up with them and be on the field with them,” Cam said. “I always wanted to be on the field with you.” [Riley]but it’s really great that it’s happening now. ”
The Pettyjohn family was instrumental in helping McKinney rank third among Dallas-area 6A teams in total defense (220.2 yards per game) and fifth in rushing yards allowed (88 yards per game). He fulfilled his role.
Riley is the No. 5 ranked player in the 2025 class by the Dallas Morning News. The four-star linebacker has recorded 65 tackles this season, 10 of which were for loss, along with 3.5 sacks and one forced fumble. He grew up playing Little League football in the Dallas area, where his father spent five seasons with the Dallas Desperados of the Arena Football League.
Duke Pettyjohn was a linebacker, but at Syracuse he moved to defensive end and played opposite NFL Hall of Famer Dwight Freeney. At Syracuse, he ranked third all-time in sacks with 24.5 and was named first-team All-Big East in 1999 and second-team All-Big East in 2000.
Duke had Riley play with older athletes to develop him from a young age.
“I think from early on, he was just different,” Duke said. “Size never mattered. He was always one of the little kids until he had a growth spurt.”
The 6-3 linebacker’s hard work caught the attention of college coaches, earning him 31 offers, according to 247Sports. Cam and Kyler also noticed Riley’s growth and appreciation from their home in the Boston area.
Riley Pettyjohn poses for a photo on the practice field at McKinney High School on October 14, 2024 in McKinney, Texas (Jason Janik/Jason Janik)
chasing dreams
The brothers begged their mother, Angel Pettyjohn, the Duke’s sister, for years to move to Texas, but the single mother of three had to wait until she had saved enough money. . Kyler and Cam wanted to play soccer and train with Riley and Duke, but the distance made that dream feel out of reach.
Two years ago, Angell decided to take a risk to help his children pursue their dreams of playing football in Texas.
“I’m grateful to them for allowing me to step outside the box, because I never would have done that,” Angel said. “I probably never would have left Boston. I just didn’t have the courage. I don’t really like change and I’m always scared that things won’t go as planned. I’m glad I decided not to change that for the world.”
The day before she moved to McKinney, Angel hadn’t yet found a place to live. She said real estate agents were unable to find a home for all the children. Then, the morning the movers arrived, she received word that the real estate agent had finally found her home.
“As a single parent, managing schools, doctors, records, and finding a permanent place to live can be financially challenging,” Angel said. “Needless to say, our belongings were lost for about a month and a half, and when we finally got them, nearly half of them were damaged in the move. It was stressful, but it was all worth it in the end.”
Kyler Pettyjohn poses for a photo on the practice field at McKinney High School on October 14, 2024 in McKinney, Texas (Jason Janik/Jason Janik)
One of the first things the boys did when they arrived in McKinney was throw a soccer ball with Riley. Just like when Riley came to visit them in Massachusetts when they were kids. The three became so close that they begged their parents to meet each other.
Riley was always wrestling with his cousins and tackling them hard. But his younger cousins enjoyed it, and they said the move to Texas was a full-circle moment.
While Riley was growing as a sophomore at McKinney, Kyler and Cam were focused on getting in better shape. They said they were overweight by the time they arrived in McKinney because they had no routine training or trainers.
Cam accepted to lose weight and switch from offensive lineman to linebacker in order to achieve his dream of earning a full scholarship to play in Division I, and Riley described his change as ” It was crazy to watch.”
Duke steps in to help, coaching his nephews as they begin training with Riley. The two brothers now have a linebackers coach and a personal trainer.
“I think he’s a dog,” Duke said of Cam. “He just loves and loves football and he goes after it every chance he gets. He has the same mindset that Riley had when he was younger.”
RELATED: 10 high school football stars having breakout seasons in the Dallas area Cam Pettyjohn poses for a photo at the McKinney High School practice field in McKinney, Texas on October 14, 2024 (Jason Janik/Jason Janik) Jason Janik)
Grow together in McKinney
Since Cam was the youngest, his family wasn’t sure if he would make the squad. Duke said he didn’t want that to happen just because he was Riley’s cousin.
So Cam worked hard to prove he deserved to be on the field, and the Pettyjohn family was overjoyed when he made the roster. This season, he has recorded 28 tackles (including four for a loss) and two sacks.
“I’m confident that my family will be around me and support me,” Kam said of his younger brother and cousin. “We already know they’re both dogs, so we already know to stop.”
Kyler has 12 tackles this season, including two for loss, 1.5 sacks and two fumble recoveries. He has been sidelined with injury for the past two weeks.
McKinney coach Nate Leonard said Riley helped his younger cousins improve by coaching him on the field this season, helping his team concede just 23.2 points per game.
“I’m there for them and I care about them, thinking about how I can help them on and off the field, especially during games,” Riley said. “If I see them messed up, it’s easy to get mad at them because of our relationship. I’ve known them my whole life.”
Pettyjohns and McKinney (4-2, 3-1 District 6-6A) will face a big test Friday against Prosper (5-1, 4-0), No. 7 in The News’ 6A rankings.
“Win or lose, they make important plays when we need them,” Leonard said. “They don’t know where they want to be, how great they want to be, and they’re hurt by failure probably more than anyone else. But that’s what drives them to practice, to rally the players around them, to raise the level of everyone, and to help us… to avoid making such mistakes.”
Twitter/X: @ronharrodjr
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