Athlete of the Week — Dexter Freeman

Junior running back Dexter Freeman broke the all-time West Ashley High School career rushing record with more than 2,000 yards during the 4A State Playoff Game against Dorman High School on Nov. 20. “He had 263 yards vs. Dorman in the playoff game and finished with over 2,000 yards for the season. He is very much a team player who gives a lot of credit to the offensive line,” said WAHS head football coach Bobby Marion.
Freeman wanted to make sure his teammates knew how much they contributed to his personal success. “My offensive line helped me achieve my goals this season and I owe my success to them,” said Freeman.
The 17-year-old running back has loved football and has played since he was very young. In the off-season he participates in track & field, but he prefers playing football. “I like playing football because it’s just fun to play,” he said.
During the past season, Freeman worked hard at each of the two hour practices he attended, Monday through Thursday, to overcome what he sees as his biggest challenge. At 5-foot-8 and 175 pounds, Freeman is smaller than many high school running backs, but he says his size helps him to be quick and light on his feet. According to Freeman, all the running and weightlifting during practice helped instrumentally when he played in games. Freeman followed his personal motto on the field: hard work beats talent, when talent doesn’t work hard.
“Dexter is a player who does his job very quietly,” said Marion. “He is a very unassuming player who works very hard on and off the field.” Freeman said the he felt honored that his coach recognized his hard work and nominated him for the Athlete of the Week.
Because he’s either playing sports or training for sports, Freeman doesn’t really participate in other extracurricular activities at WAHS, but he maintains a good balance between school, sports, and hanging out with friends. Most of his hobbies revolve around football. It’s his favorite thing to do when he has free time. He also likes helping people, which is something he strives to do on a daily basis.
Although this football season is over, Freeman will be back next fall for one more season. With every yard he gains he wil be breaking another record and impress recruiters. He plans to attend college and would love to continue to play football wherever he ends up going. Freeman would especially like to get a football scholarship. So far the University of North Carolina—Charlotte and the University of Florida have been looking at Freeman, but he has his sights set on Georgia Southern. Freeman plans to major in wind engineering and focus specifically on wind energy.