In only three years, Morton Ranch senior Aaron Session discovered the two things that would shape his future: football and microbiology.

Not the most common pairing, particularly for someone who was barely a teenager. But Session is not your common student-athlete.

Two years after putting on a football helmet for the first time as a seventh grader at Katy Junior High, Session took a biology class as a freshman at Morton Ranch High. In junior high, he established a passion for football. In high school, he developed the same fondness for natural science.

“We took regular biology, learning about genetics and stuff, and that was a subject I realized that was fun and that maybe I’d look at for a career,” Session said. “Math is not fun for me. History is too boring. I can do well at those subjects, but biology I actually liked.”

It was during his sophomore year that Session realized football could pay his way through college. Then a 6-foot-3, 210-pound offensive lineman, he put in more time and work in the weight room. Morton Ranch coaches noticed. College coaches noticed; especially Yale, who showed interest early that sophomore season.

In the two years since, Session has grown and matured. From 6-5, 285 pounds as a junior to now, as Session is 6-7, 297 pounds and a three-star prospect at left tackle.

Because of Session’s vast athletic potential and impressive 4.0 grade-point average, Yale revved up its effort to gain Session’s services in early November with Zoom meetings. It paid off when Session verbally committed to the Bulldogs on Nov. 19.

“The main thing about it is that Yale has two Plan A’s,” Session said. “I can go there and get my degree and make the NFL, or I can graduate and get straight to work. They have a bunch of internships and they support you the whole way.

“Obviously, if you graduate with a Yale degree … I won’t say it’ll make life easier, but it’ll set you up better. If you go to Yale, anything you aspire to be, you can basically be.”

Session plans to study microbiology. He is fascinated with what the eye can’t see.

“It’s the fact we’re working with stuff so small, and yet it affects us so much,” Session said. “For example, our genes. We’re learning more every day and it’s real important, not just for us but all life on earth. The more we learn about it, the more we can change the world.”

Morton Ranch head coach Ron Counter said Session is special, as smart as any football player he’s been around. Academia has always been a priority of Session’s, and he credits his mother Latoya, a junior high counselor for Lamar Consolidated ISD, and father Nate for instilling the importance of school.

Session started reading books in kindergarten. He progressed “really fast” through elementary school.

“They made sure education was my No. 1 focus,” Session said. “They didn’t care for all the youth football leagues. I wasn’t even allowed to play until junior high. I just knew I liked it because my brother Zach and I would play catch in the backyard.”

When he’s not on the field or studying, Session is in the kitchen. Earlier this year, he picked up cooking as a new hobby.

Like the other two subjects, he found success quickly in that as well. He enjoys making food for others. His favorite dish is pasta alfredo, a favorite of his younger siblings’.

“They like it, so I keep going at it,” Session said. “It’s fun trying new things.”

But it’s his ability on the field that earned Session his way to an Ivy League institution. Football is his path to bigger and better.

Session’s skill is tantalizing, which is why he had scholarship offers from 22 other schools. He is huge for his position, even one that naturally boasts the biggest players on the field, but he’s also quick and good with his feet.

Counter said Session’s room for growth is high. Just 17 years old, he is still getting acquainted with his body and learning the game.

Session was not physical as a sophomore. He simply didn’t have the size or weight; at the time, Session saw himself more as a basketball player. But after Yale started showing interest early, Session understood football was the way. He committed himself more to training and the weight room, and as a junior he started showing the aggressiveness and physically the position demands.

This season, he’s been more consistent about it.

“He’s got a lot of potential,” Counter said. “With that height and that wingspan … his wingspan is like that of a seven-footer. He’s got long arms and big feet, and he’s still growing. He’s got a chance to be one heck of a player.”