by By Dan Ninham (Oneida)
The last of the Buck athlete siblings is making his own mark on the court and field at Red Wing High School in Minnesota. Although following in the footsteps of one of Minnesota’s top athlete families, Deso Buck is busy filling his own footsteps.
Deso Buck is a 6-1, sophomore, varsity starting point guard on the Red Wing HS team this early season. He is a member of the Prairie Island Mdewakanton Tribe. His parents are Richard (Prairie Island Mdewakanton Tribe) and Jessica Buck and the family lives in Red Wing, MN.
Deso had varsity minutes on the basketball court as an eighth grader and started as a freshman. He also plays baseball and was a varsity starter as a freshman as well.
“I feel a very important core value I have taken away from my tribe is respect,” said Deso. “I was taught at a young age to respect everyone, especially my elders. I have carried that over into everyday life. I respect my teachers at school, my coaches, my teammates, opposing teams, referees, and the game of basketball itself.”
“My late Grandmother, Lucy Gelhar has influenced me to be a good student athlete,” said Deso. “She would always encourage my siblings and I to do our best and work hard. She was my biggest supporter. There weren’t very many games that she missed. We lost her to cancer almost a year ago. Because of her support for so many years, I will continue to work hard and become a better player to make her proud!” added Deso.
“I was given the chance to play my first varsity minutes in 8th grade,” said Deso. “I worked hard, and made it count. I proved myself and since then I have gotten varsity minutes. I feel like when given the chance you need to make it count, because when you work hard good things will happen.”
Eldest child and daughter Tesha recently finished her NCAA DI basketball career at the University of New Mexico after playing at University of Wisconsin Green Bay. Son Tyrell is a redshirt senior baseball player at NCAA DII Minnesota State University Mankato. Tesha and Tyrell are the all time leading scorers in Red Wing HS basketball history. Daughter Tayzha left NCAA DI University of Evansville and is not in school. Dad Richard was one of the top athletes in his prime at Red Wing HS in the early ‘90’s and was a three-time member of the USA National Softball team. Mom Jessica ran track and played volleyball in high school.
The potential for Deso Buck to continue to contribute to the athletic family name is outstanding.
Photo Credit: Action Hero Photography
