The tall, athletic wide receiver picked a good game to be noticed in.
Demetrius Dean may have just been a sophomore in high school, but he played like a seasoned veteran on Sept. 12, 2008 as the Fayetteville Bulldogs triumphed, 42-37 over Jefferson City, Mo.
With Arkansas head coach Bobby Petrino making the trip to watch his son play football for the Bulldogs in Jefferson City, Dean, in only his second high school game, caught 10 passes for 109 yards and three touchdowns.
The effort impressed Petrino so much that he offered Dean a scholarship, even though he had only played two varsity games.
Dean, now a 6-foot-3, 240-pound junior, plays the majority of his games just down the hill from Petrino’s office on campus, at nearby Harmon Field.
Northwest Arkansas has never been confused with a recruiting hotbed for big-time Division I schools such as Arkansas, who plays in the Southeastern Conference, a highly competitive football division.
Sure, a lot of attention was given to the ‘Springdale Five,’ a collection of players from a 2005 Springdale Bulldog team that went 14-0 and finished with a national ranking by USA Today of No. 2 in the country.
Wide receiver Damian Williams is a star at the University of Southern California, where quarterback Mitch Mustain joined him after both left Arkansas at the beginning of 2007.
And a number of other athletes from the area have gone on to success.
Auburn recruited Lee Ziemba and Kodi Burns from Rogers and Fort Smith, respectively. North Carolina got Zach Pianalto from Springdale.
Fayetteville’s own Colby Berna is now a lineman for Arkansas.
Not a single one of the players listed above, however, were offered a scholarship as a high school sophomore.
Jimmy Carter, an assistant sports editor at the Arkansas Traveler, has covered high school football extensively in Arkansas this year, and said the process of recruiting has evolved so much over the past five to ten years.
“Now you have sportswriters that wouldn't normally be near a high school field covering games to try and get the scoop on where these athletes are going to attend college,” Carter said.
Carter also mentioned the fact that the increase in technology has led to the interest in these high school athletes, like Dean, when they are only 15 or 16 years old.
“Twitter and particularly Facebook are very predominant fixtures in a high school athlete's recruiting choices,” Carter said. “These high school athletes - and college athletes - will have 3,000 friends on Facebook and a large portion of those are fans of the schools that are recruiting the athlete.”
Nate Olson, a sportswriter for Vype Magazine in central Arkansas, said that even with it gaining steam in Northwest Arkansas, there is also a strong following of these athletes in the middle and southern portions of the state as well.
“It used to be high school kids got coverage from their local papers,” Olson said. “Now, it has become big business. Web sites, magazines and TV networks cover players from all over the country. College recruiting coverage has put prep sports in the spotlight.”
Some will then ask, is the attention given to these athletes healthy for them?
“On one hand, when they get to college they have had some exposure to the attention, but then it can take away from them getting to live a regular high school life,” Carter said.
So while recruiting can a team an edge and helps that team develop a program, it can also be devastating to the individual who has the hopes of that team riding on his shoulders.
“Overall, technology and the increased coverage has put athletes in a position to receive a lot of press and publication, but it also puts them under the microscope more and can blow little things about the athletes' lives out of proportion,” Carter said.
“Many athletes comment on their relief to end the recruiting process for this reason.”
Dean went on to set records at Fayetteville as a sophomore, but had a tough 2009 as a junior.
With the target on his back as an Arkansas commitment, he didn’t perform as he did 2008, putting on weight in the off-season and struggling to stay in games because of it.
Fayetteville limped to a 5-6 finish and a first-round playoff exit with a 45-42 loss to Conway at home.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Revised Human Interest Feature
On Halloween last year, sixteen-year-old Aaron Leslie’s car ran off the road in the early morning on Highway 16, flipping over a bridge and plunging into the cold waters of the White River.
Leslie, who was traveling from his father’s house to his mother’s before school, was trapped underneath the vehicle for nearly 15 minutes before emergency responders and passersby could assist him.
It would be a nightmarish time for any parents, especially for Leslie’s, who share custody of their son.
Friends of Leslie, now 17, describe them as being very strong and supportive of the doctors the whole way as Aaron underwent treatment and testing.
As he made strides daily, it was clear that he would recover from this enormous obstacle, but the time frame of that recovery was the unknown.
Upon being reached, Leslie didn’t have a pulse, but the EMT managed to revive him once they got him into the ambulance.
At the time, it was unclear what would come of Leslie. He had significant brain damage as a result of being underwater for so long.
Friends of Leslie began pouring into the hospital daily with cards, flowers, and support for him and his family as he came out of a coma and into the realization that things were different than before the accident.
Chaz Williams, 18, is one of Leslie’s closest friends, and he says that Leslie is an inspiration to him every day for overcoming enormous odds.
“I became good friends with Aaron sophomore year [of high school], and we’re now best friends,” Williams said. “We’ve had a lot of great times together and I wouldn’t trade them for anything.”
Looking at pictures before and after the accident, Leslie looks like nothing has changed. The only noticeable difference is that he seems less aware of his surroundings that he used to be.
Leslie attends Fayetteville High School and has a select group of friends who he is close with, but is well thought of by all he comes into contact with.
Before the accident, Leslie was fairly outgoing and wasn’t afraid to speak his mind, although primarily sticking close to his friends.
Now that he’s had a lot of the memories of his school years wiped away along with having to re-learn some basic skills and concepts, he has acted noticeably different while at school.
Marshall McComas, who has attended school with Leslie since junior high, said that Leslie is a different person since the accident.
“He’s definitely not the same as he was before the accident,” McComas said. “I have a friend [Josh Hale] who goes to school with us who works at Harp’s, and Josh went up to him [Leslie] while he was working and he tried to talk to [Leslie] and he just acted real confused.”
What some may not realize is that Leslie’s progression is fluctuating day-by-day.
“He has the same personality as he did before, he’s just gaining his memory and how to do certain things,” Williams said. “It’s affected his family in the fact he has to be taken care of a little more, but everything else is the same.”
Some days, he may make significant headway and remember things just like they were, but at other times, he is slow to pick up the pieces.
“Aaron’s progression was really rapid at first,” Williams said. “It’s become a much slower pace as of late, but he continues to get better all the time. As long as he keeps getting better he has a chance at a full recovery.”
The support network of his family and friends continuously aids him in his journey back to normalcy.
“Life goes on, except for his friends and family of course,” Williams said. “We’re hanging out with him and hoping he gets better as soon as possible.”
Leslie, who was traveling from his father’s house to his mother’s before school, was trapped underneath the vehicle for nearly 15 minutes before emergency responders and passersby could assist him.
It would be a nightmarish time for any parents, especially for Leslie’s, who share custody of their son.
Friends of Leslie, now 17, describe them as being very strong and supportive of the doctors the whole way as Aaron underwent treatment and testing.
As he made strides daily, it was clear that he would recover from this enormous obstacle, but the time frame of that recovery was the unknown.
Upon being reached, Leslie didn’t have a pulse, but the EMT managed to revive him once they got him into the ambulance.
At the time, it was unclear what would come of Leslie. He had significant brain damage as a result of being underwater for so long.
Friends of Leslie began pouring into the hospital daily with cards, flowers, and support for him and his family as he came out of a coma and into the realization that things were different than before the accident.
Chaz Williams, 18, is one of Leslie’s closest friends, and he says that Leslie is an inspiration to him every day for overcoming enormous odds.
“I became good friends with Aaron sophomore year [of high school], and we’re now best friends,” Williams said. “We’ve had a lot of great times together and I wouldn’t trade them for anything.”
Looking at pictures before and after the accident, Leslie looks like nothing has changed. The only noticeable difference is that he seems less aware of his surroundings that he used to be.
Leslie attends Fayetteville High School and has a select group of friends who he is close with, but is well thought of by all he comes into contact with.
Before the accident, Leslie was fairly outgoing and wasn’t afraid to speak his mind, although primarily sticking close to his friends.
Now that he’s had a lot of the memories of his school years wiped away along with having to re-learn some basic skills and concepts, he has acted noticeably different while at school.
Marshall McComas, who has attended school with Leslie since junior high, said that Leslie is a different person since the accident.
“He’s definitely not the same as he was before the accident,” McComas said. “I have a friend [Josh Hale] who goes to school with us who works at Harp’s, and Josh went up to him [Leslie] while he was working and he tried to talk to [Leslie] and he just acted real confused.”
What some may not realize is that Leslie’s progression is fluctuating day-by-day.
“He has the same personality as he did before, he’s just gaining his memory and how to do certain things,” Williams said. “It’s affected his family in the fact he has to be taken care of a little more, but everything else is the same.”
Some days, he may make significant headway and remember things just like they were, but at other times, he is slow to pick up the pieces.
“Aaron’s progression was really rapid at first,” Williams said. “It’s become a much slower pace as of late, but he continues to get better all the time. As long as he keeps getting better he has a chance at a full recovery.”
The support network of his family and friends continuously aids him in his journey back to normalcy.
“Life goes on, except for his friends and family of course,” Williams said. “We’re hanging out with him and hoping he gets better as soon as possible.”
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Human Interest Feature
FAYETTEVILLE--To say that Aaron Leslie has come a long way would be an understatement.
On Halloween last year, Leslie’s car ran off the road in the early morning on Highway 16, flipping over a bridge and plunging into the cold waters of the White River.
Leslie, who was traveling from his father’s house to his mother’s before school, was trapped underneath the vehicle for nearly 15 minutes before emergency responders and passersby could assist him.
Upon being reached, Leslie didn’t have a pulse, but the EMT’s managed to revive him once they got him into the ambulance.
It was a nightmarish time for Leslie’s parents, who share custody of their son.
At the time, it was unclear what would come of Leslie. He had significant brain damage as a result of being underwater for so long.
And he was comatose in the hospital for days before he came around.
Friends of Leslie began pouring into the hospital daily with cards, flowers, and support for him and his family as he began the road to recovery.
Chaz Williams, 18, is one of Leslie’s best friends, and he says that Leslie is an inspiration to him every day for overcoming enormous odds.
“I became good friends with Aaron sophomore year [of high school], and we’re now best friends,” Williams said. “We’ve had a lot of great times together and I wouldn’t trade them for anything.”
Leslie, now 17, attends Fayetteville High School and has a select group of friends who he is close with, but is well thought of by all he comes into contact with.
Before the accident, Leslie was fairly outgoing and wasn’t afraid to speak his mind, although primarily sticking close to his friends.
Now that he’s had a lot of the memories of his school years wiped away along with re-learning some basic skills and concepts, he has acted noticeably different while at school.
Marshall McComas, who has attended school with Leslie since junior high, said that Leslie is a different person since the accident.
“He’s definitely not the same as he was before the accident,” McComas said. “I have a friend who goes to school with us who works at Harp’s, and he went up to him [Leslie] while he was working and he tried to talk to him and he just acted real confused.”
What some may not realize is that Leslie’s progression is fluctuating day-by-day.
Some days, he may make major strides and remember things just like they were, but at other times, he is slow to pick up the pieces.
“Aaron’s progression was really rapid at first,” Williams said. “It’s become a much slower pace as of late, but he continues to get better all the time. As long as he keeps getting better he has a chance at a full recovery.”
On Halloween last year, Leslie’s car ran off the road in the early morning on Highway 16, flipping over a bridge and plunging into the cold waters of the White River.
Leslie, who was traveling from his father’s house to his mother’s before school, was trapped underneath the vehicle for nearly 15 minutes before emergency responders and passersby could assist him.
Upon being reached, Leslie didn’t have a pulse, but the EMT’s managed to revive him once they got him into the ambulance.
It was a nightmarish time for Leslie’s parents, who share custody of their son.
At the time, it was unclear what would come of Leslie. He had significant brain damage as a result of being underwater for so long.
And he was comatose in the hospital for days before he came around.
Friends of Leslie began pouring into the hospital daily with cards, flowers, and support for him and his family as he began the road to recovery.
Chaz Williams, 18, is one of Leslie’s best friends, and he says that Leslie is an inspiration to him every day for overcoming enormous odds.
“I became good friends with Aaron sophomore year [of high school], and we’re now best friends,” Williams said. “We’ve had a lot of great times together and I wouldn’t trade them for anything.”
Leslie, now 17, attends Fayetteville High School and has a select group of friends who he is close with, but is well thought of by all he comes into contact with.
Before the accident, Leslie was fairly outgoing and wasn’t afraid to speak his mind, although primarily sticking close to his friends.
Now that he’s had a lot of the memories of his school years wiped away along with re-learning some basic skills and concepts, he has acted noticeably different while at school.
Marshall McComas, who has attended school with Leslie since junior high, said that Leslie is a different person since the accident.
“He’s definitely not the same as he was before the accident,” McComas said. “I have a friend who goes to school with us who works at Harp’s, and he went up to him [Leslie] while he was working and he tried to talk to him and he just acted real confused.”
What some may not realize is that Leslie’s progression is fluctuating day-by-day.
Some days, he may make major strides and remember things just like they were, but at other times, he is slow to pick up the pieces.
“Aaron’s progression was really rapid at first,” Williams said. “It’s become a much slower pace as of late, but he continues to get better all the time. As long as he keeps getting better he has a chance at a full recovery.”
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