'A great running back'

Mayflower junior makes up for size in speed

— If you can't be big, be fast.

That is the credo of Mayflower junior running back De-Shawn Bagby. While he is just 5-6, 160-pounds, on the field his play is much larger, slicing opponents for big yardage on runs and surprising offenses with his skills at the linebacker position.

Where others may see a size discrepancy as a handicap, De-Shawn has turned it into his advantage.

"I'm used to my size," De-Shawn said.

The last time he was timed in the 40-yard dash was last season when he ran a 4.51, but De-Shawn is positive that he is faster than that now. He uses that blistering speed to get by the much larger, and most times, much slower defensive players assigned to bring him down.

His elusiveness and sheer talent has led to his coach, Jed Davis, to put DeShawn at several different positions just so he can get more touches in the Eagles' offense.

"He's a great running back," Davis said. "We try to do a lot of different things with him. We'll line him up as a tailback, receiver and get him in a bunch of different positions. He's real good at making people miss."

Just as his opponents all try to get a piece of him on the field, different universities are starting to take notice of the speedy back. DeShawn has received interest from the University of Arkansas, Notre Dame, Georgia Tech, University of Colorado, Central Florida and Louisiana State.

DeShawn is still weighing his options on which school will win the Bagby lottery and get the explosive player many have compared to New Orleans Saints' running back Reggie Bush.

While the comparisons to Reggie rage on, it was a different running back that inspired DeShawn, down to the number he wears on the field. DeShawn became enamored with Willis McGahee during his years at the University of Miami and wears the No. 2 jersey as a tribute to his favorite player.

Like McGahee, DeShawnhas struggled with injuries, especially this year. In the first game of the year, he sprained his ACL, and shortly after returning to the field, he suffered an ankle injury, forcing him to miss a few games.

The player who was named to the all-conference and all-Faulkner County teams has seen little time on the field, and during his most recent game, the frustrations of not being on the field finally got the better of him.

With his team trailing late in the game, DeShawn entered the game to help defend on an extra point attempt. Until this play he had been used sparingly throughout the game. After the play was over, DeShawn heard some trashtalk aimed at one of his teammates and tried to step in.

The situation soon escalated and a punch was thrown, causing DeShawn to be ejected from the game and miss the next game. A decision that he immediately regretted.

"I know people are depending on me," DeShawn said. "I want to do better, you just don't do things you'll regret."

As one of the leaders on the Mayflower team, DeShawn knows he is looked upon as an example and does not want one play to define him as a player.

"I'm not a selfish player," De-Shawn said. "I'm grateful for myline [on offense], and I am a total team player."

While in college, DeShawn wants to study kinesiology in hopes of becoming a coach.

In the meantime, DeShawn will continue to try to lead his team to back to the postseason and while his pursuit of getting 1,500 yards this season has taken a hit with injuries and the suspension, he believes that both he and Eagles have more than a fair chance of having a great season.

After this season is over, De-Shawn will make the transition to basketball and then to track and field, where he helped lead his 4X100 relay team to a state title last year.

But there is still a lot offootball left to be played, and DeShawn will make his return at home against Perryville fully rested and healed from a grueling early season schedule.

River Valley Ozark, Pages 142 on 10/07/2007

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