NOW HE LIKES THE CONTACT IN HIS YOUTH, SAUGUS' DEROUSSEAU USED TO HATE GETTING HIT.Byline: Gideon Rubin Staff Writer SAUGUS - Drew DeRousseau hated the physical contact involved in football so much when he first played Pee Wee Pee Wee, Pee-wee or peewee may refer to:
adj. On even terms with by payment or requital: I am finally quits with the loan. [Middle English, probably alteration (influenced by Medieval Latin before his first hell week was over. A 10-year-old at the time, DeRousseau was quite adamant. ``I was fed up with the abuse because I'd never played tackle before,'' he said. ``I'd played flag football for two years, and I wasn't used to getting banged up and hit. I was going to quit. That's what I was going to do.'' His coaches didn't give up on him so easily. They convinced him to try it for at least a few more days, and DeRousseau is glad they did. Now a junior on the Saugus High football team, DeRousseau is a standout on both sides of the ball. He replaced running back Brandon McCullough, one of the area's best last season, as the Centurions' most significant backfield threat, and he also starts at free safety. These days, he can't get enough contact. ``As soon as I started getting the hang of what was going on and how to hit properly, I really started liking it,'' DeRousseau said. ``I finally grasped the idea of what was going on and understood that the person that hits the hardest doesn't hurt the most when the play's done.'' DeRousseau is among the team's toughest players, and his hard-nosed style of play has impressed im·press 1 tr.v. im·pressed, im·press·ing, im·press·es 1. To affect strongly, often favorably: teammates and coaches. ``He plays hurt, he plays sore, he just doesn't care,'' Saugus coach Ron Hilton said. ``He's going to play, and the kids have a tremendous amount of respect for him for that.'' Said Saugus wide receiver Kevin Estes: ``He's tough as nails. He'll stand in there and take on a 220-pound linebacker coming right at him. He's a tough kid.'' DeRousseau's toughness and talent - he was called ``Team DeRousseau'' on the freshman team, when he was involved in 22 of the Centurions' 26 touchdowns - have made him one of the team's most inspirational in·spi·ra·tion·al adj. 1. Of or relating to inspiration. 2. Providing or intended to convey inspiration. 3. Resulting from inspiration. leaders. ``He takes practices like game time,'' quarterback Chris Ahlheim said. ``He's boisterous, he's the one that's always telling the guys, `Let's go Let's Go may refer to: Television
n. 1. An amount or length measured in yards. 2. Cloth sold by the yard. Noun 1. .' He really pumps up the team and makes us improve. He makes you work harder.'' De Rousseau, the son of a Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. Police detective, wants to become a fireman. ``I've already seen what the LAPD 1. LAPD - Link Access Procedure on the D channel. 2. LAPD - Los Angeles Police Department. has had to go through,'' he said. ``I like to be in the spotlight Spotlight can refer to at least three types of lighting:
These days he's enjoying the glory as one of the football team's star players, a position he owes to the coaches who urged him when he was 10 to give football another try. ``I didn't realize it then, but it was probably one of the biggest decisions I've ever had to make and one of the most important ones,'' he said. CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Saugus High football player Drew DeRousseau is considered one of the Centurions' toughest players and also one of the most enthusiastic. Evan Yee/Staff Photographer |
|
||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion