All-NWA Media Football: Big Play Dre Does It All For Fayetteville

— Big Play Dre took his game to a whole new level for Fayetteville this season.

Dre Greenlaw, who earned his nickname with big special teams plays and timely interceptions from his safety position during his junior year, knew the game plan this fall would include some time on offense as well. What he might not have known at the beginning of the season was just how big of an impact his offensive skills would affect Fayetteville’s success.

All-NWA Media Football Player of the Year

Dre Greenlaw

School: Fayetteville

Class: Senior

Height: 6-1

Weight: 220

Notable: Named All-State and all-conference. … Led Bulldogs’ defense with 119 total tackles, along with 10 pass breakups, four interceptions, four tackles for loss and two fumble recoveries. … Offensively accounted for more than 1,000 all-purpose yards. … Passed for 129 yards, rushed for 52 yards, had 240 receiving yards and totaled more than 700 special teams yards on punt and kickoff returns. … Responsible for touchdowns five different ways, passing, rushing, receiving on offense, by interception on defense and by punt return on special teams. … Has committed to Arkansas.

Safety, linebacker, punt and kickoff returner, wide receiver, running back and trick-play quarterback … all positions Greenlaw filled this year. And positions that included the usual big plays provided by Greenlaw throughout his career.

With more than 100 tackles on defense and more than 1,000 all-purpose yards offensively, Greenlaw did a little bit of everything for Fayetteville. For his efforts, the Bulldogs’ senior has been named the All-NWA Media Football Player of the Year.

“I don’t know if there’s anything Dre couldn’t do,” Fayetteville coach Daryl Patton said. “I know we’ve said that in the past about other kids and rightfully so because we’ve had some good ones. But I think if we had put Dre at quarterback as a sophomore, he’d be the best quarterback in the state. If we put him at running back, he’d be the best running back in the state. Receiver, same thing. Free safety, wherever.

“The kid can punt, kick, throw, catch. It’s God-given ability. That is nothing we coach or that’s taught. He’s just got that ‘It’ factor.”

Greenlaw, at 6-foot-1, 220-pounds, gained attention from colleges as a safety on defense. He originally committed to Arkansas State, then changed his commitment to Arkansas in October. As a safety, Greenlaw was the aggressive workhorse of the Fayetteville defense with 119 tackles, 10 pass breakups, four interceptions and two fumble recoveries.

On special teams, Greenlaw averaged 12.4 yards per punt return and 29.6 yards per kickoff return.

But offense was where he showed his game had almost no limits.

“I knew they had a couple of special plays for me,” Greenlaw said. “I knew I was going to be the punt returner and kickoff returner and I knew I would get a couple of handoffs at running back. At least that’s what (coach Patton) said going in, but we had so much going on and sometimes you can’t put everything in.

“But I think we put in one or two gadget plays in and they were successful, so we just sort of unleashed the beast the started running every gadget play we can. They started working and kept using them.”

Greenlaw completed three passes on wide receiver reverses, for 129 yards and one touchdown. He rushed 21 times as a running back, with five touchdowns. And despite a busy workload already on defense, he found time to become on of Fayetteville’s top deep threats at wide receiver with 11 receptions for 240 yards and three touchdowns.

“It was fun,” Greenlaw said. “Everybody is expecting that big play on defense all the time and then you’re able to come out of nowhere and make that big play on offense. Throw the ball 70 yards and that just gets everybody hyped. I knew I could throw the ball, but I never knew I would do it in a game. So things like that are just a different type of excitement.”

Patton credits Greenlaw with the strong work ethic to get himself in proper shape to be able to handle so many plays each and every game. Against Bentonville in the Class 7A finals, Greenlaw had 14 tackles and one interception on defense, two receptions, 52 yards on offense and rarely came off the field.

“I was glad we were able to showcase him a little bit this year on offense,” Patton said. “He had 11 catches and I don’t know how many times we put him out there and used him as a decoy. He had five touchdowns as a running back. He’s just had a fantastic year.

“To score in all the manners that he’s scored in his career. I don’t know if there’s been another player to score in all the ways he’s scored. He did not kick an extra point, but he scored in just about every other way possible.”

Greenlaw turns his attention now to signing day and his future days with Arkansas. But his senior season — and his entire career — with Fayetteville will be best be remembered for the place where ‘Big Play Dre’ was born.

“I’m just a football player,” Greenlaw said. “From fifth grade to now I’ve played just about every position on the field. From quarterback my seventh grade year, to fullback, running back, linebacker. You have instincts, you just go out there and play football.”

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