Texas running back minds his manners

Highly recruited running back D’Vaughn Pennamon of Manvel, Texas, is a talented football player, but Coach Kirk Martin said he is just as impressed with his great attitude and personality.

“He has never had a bad day,” Martin said. “His positive attitude is infectious. You cannot be in a bad mood around him. He walks on his toe cleats with a bounce in his step everywhere he goes. I truly love this kid. I wish I had a team full of him.”

His mother, Elaine Winn, and his father, Carey Pennamon, stressed strong values.

“I really tried raising him to be humble, respectful and being courteous to others,” Winn said. “Just being an overall loving person.”

Pennamon, 5-11, 211 pounds, 4.46 seconds in the 40-yard dash, committed to Ole Miss in July but took an official visit to Fayetteville for Arkansas’ game against Tennessee-Martin on Oct. 31 and is still taking a hard look at the Hogs. He said he has been taught to respect his elders.

“You have to use your manners, it will take you a long ways,” Pennamon said. “You always say yes, ma’am, no, ma’am, yes, sir, and no, sir, no matter who it is.”

Being around Pennamon’s parents, it’s easy to understand why their son is such a positive person.

“There are people every day that take life for granted,” Pennamon said. “I want to leave the planet knowing I did everything I could possibly do to have a best life I could. So if that means every day I have a good day and be positive, then that’s what I’ll do.”

Prior to a 35-17 loss to Katy in Friday’s Region III championship, Pennamon had rushed 120 times for 1,531 yards — an average of 12.8 yards per carry — and 23 touchdowns to go along with 13 receptions for 166 yards and 3 touchdowns.

Martin said Pennamon is the ultimate team-player.

“He is really unselfish,” Martin said. “He has never once complained about touches. All he wants is us to win. He’s more excited to deliver the block that springs a teammate for a touchdown than he is for himself when he scores.”

Pennamon wasn’t too fond of the sport when he first started playing football at the age of 5.

“I really didn’t like contact,” Pennamon said. “I was afraid of it.”

He learned quickly that quitting wasn’t allowed.

“It was a struggle to get him to practice because he cried every day for about the first month,” Winn said. “I always told him if you start something, you have to finish.”

His dislike for contact stopped after his father challenged him to a game of 1-on-1 tackle after a peewee practice.

“He said unless I ran though him or get across a line, we weren’t going home,” said Pennamon, who has more than 25 scholarship offers. “I think we did that for at least 30 minutes. After that day, I wasn’t really scared of contact.”

Pennamon, who rushed 62 times for 661 yards and 2 touchdowns as a junior, ran a 9.93-second split in the 400-meter relay to help Manvel win the Class 6A state title with a time of 40.32 in the spring.

He is thankful for his mother’s unwavering support.

“My mom has never missed a football game in my life,” Pennamon said. “So she sacrificed time, and any time I needed something for football or anything like that, she would spend her last just to give me whatever I needed.”

Before every game, Pennamon said he locates his mother in the stands.

“I like to see my mom before I start playing,” Pennamon said. “I always play better when she’s there.”

Pennamon’s mother and father accompanied him on his visit to Arkansas and were impressed.

“Arkansas has an amazing academic program,” Winn said. “The people there are amazing, and I feel like my son would be taken care of and loved on.”

If he makes it to the NFL, Pennamon plans to take care of his parents.

“I’ve always told my mom if I get drafted she can just retire, because I’ll take care of her first before I take care of myself,” he said. “I’ve told my dad I’ll get him a house built on a nice piece of land. My dad has always liked open land and horses.”

Regardless what the future holds, Winn will be in her son’s corner.

“I’ll always be his cheerleader,” she said.