By By Matthew Nascone
Before the 2006 football season Deonta Davison was one of nine seniors on the Northview Chiefs football team, but when the year 2007 rolled around, he was the freshest smelling player.
It was announced Jan. 2 that Davison was nominated as an Old Spice(r) Red Zone Player of the Year.
"I was surprised when I found out," Davison said. "It feels good that coach nominated me for all I did on the field this year."
The Old Spice(r) Red Zone Player of the Year Program is sponsored by Old Spice(r) Red Zone deodorant and is a nationwide program involving more than 4,500 high school football programs. According to the program's Web site, since 2001 it has been an avenue to motivate, inspire and recognize varsity high school football players who show outstanding athletic performance, strong leadership and the will to win in the Red Zone, the area of the football field between the 20-yard line and goal line.
Cody Keene, head football coach at Northview High School, said he believes Davison has all of those qualities.
"He had a great year on and off the field," Keene said. "He is a hard worker and a good leader. He had an outstanding year for us and he is a quality young man who works hard in the weight room as well as on the field."
Throughout the 2006 season Keene nominated a Red Zone Player of the Week as part of NHS's participation in the program. At the end of the season, he chose Davison as Northview's nominee for Player of the Year. For his efforts during the year, Davison will receive a certificate to honor his achievement.
The official Web site has a checklist of qualities each Player of the Year displayed throughout the season. They are as follows, performance in the Red Zone, leadership that motivates teammates, courage to overcome adversity, determination to persevere, endurance to outplay, outlast and outscore an opponent and tenacity that never quits.
Davison will join many other nominees from across the nation in the hunt to be named one of 50 winners who will be named Old Spice(r) Red Zone Player of the Year. These 50 athletes will receive a plaque, a fleece with the official logo and will be honored in a full-page ad in USA Today this February.