No Slowing Down Davonte Russell

Davonte Russell - Thomas Dale Knights

Class of 2017 - Running Back & Cornerback

5 Foot 11 Inches and 170 Pounds

     There is a bit of a buzz in Chester this offseason... roughly four months from the start of the season. The buzz is 'Championship or Bust'... The defense for Thomas Dale might be a little inexperienced on at first but the offense will be one that will create problems for opposing defense... You've got a pro style quarterback who can sling it around and you've got what Coach Tucker of Thomas Dale believes is "one of the best 1-2 punches in the area" when it comes to run games.

     Half of that 1-2 punch is Davonte Russell, a young man who has been running since he was in the third grade. Back then during his rec days, no one could catch him he was so fast... He continues to be fast nearly a decade later.

     You can teach a lot when it comes to football but you cannot teach speed, that is just something you either have or you don't have. Russell has it, running a 4.4 in the 40. He is a "difference maker" as Coach Tucker puts it and he showed what he was capable of last season. When Max Oxendine went down towards the end of the season, in the Knights first playoff game Davonte carried the ball 31 times against Woodbridge for 150 yards! For the season Davonte had 556 yards on 114 carries and 5 touchdowns. Davonte was also on the receiving end of a 75-yard touchdown against Cosby.  

     Davonte was actually brought up in his sophomore season but never played but he has made the most of the opportunity before him last season and now looking ahead to this coming fall.

     Davonte never stops, he never stops running and he never stops working. That is one of the things that impresses Coach Tucker the most, his hard work and his hustle. There is no slowing this young man down. He stays busy prepping for football season as well as playing other sports. Davonte plays Lacrosse and has played basketball and soccer as well but make no mistake about it, football is his favorite. He loves the excitement that comes with football and exciting is what this season could be for he and the Knights.

     The Knights expect Davonte to carry the ball ten to twelve times a game. His speed unmatched, he will be able to get to the edge and down the field rather quick. This coming season he will not just be a threat on offense but also on defense. One of the more faster and powerful backs in the region, he will apply that speed and power to the defense where he is expected to see time at cornerback as well. Davonte makes it clear, whatever he's asked to do, he can handle.

     That will not just allow for success this coming season for the Knights but also beyond. Davonte has caught the attention of schools such as Norfolk State, Richmond and JMU. He liked what JMU had to offer on a visit there and while he has not heard any interest from Virginia Tech, he likes the program just for the "hype atmopshere" as he puts it and fan of college football is well aware of themselves. No offers as of yet, Coach Tucker believes by the end of camp, he could have 3-5 offers.

     By the time Davonte does reach the college ranks, he should be well prepared. A young man who plans to play football at the next level feels Thomas Dale itself is like playing a college game with the way the atmosphere on a Friday night and the way the town shows up for the game. The preparation involved is just as intense as the fans that come out on Friday nights and that is why the Knights are so confident looking ahead to 2016.

    With any team and any sport, you just don't learn the game, you learn life lessons. That holds true at Thomas Dale where Davonte feels he's learned just as much about life and how to treat others as he has football. With all that Davonte has gained in his short time as a Knight and when he arrived at Thomas Dale, it should make for an exciting senior season and future as well.