Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Defensive Player Of The Year
ANTHONY TRAVIS
SCHOOL Fort Smith Northside CLASS Senior
HEIGHT 6-2
WEIGHT 210 POSITION Linebacker
THE SCOOP Northside coach Mike Falleur is an old-style football coach who believes in placing his best athletes on defense. That’s where Travis created havoc and ran down ball-carriers as a two-year starter at outside linebacker the Grizzlies. … Travis led Northside with 132 tackles, including 18 stops behind the line of scrimmage. … Travis intercepted two passes, including one against Bentonville that he returned to the Tigers’ 1 that set up a touchdown in a 30-17 playoff victory over Bentonville. … As a junior, Travis had 130 tackles, including seven sacks. … Nicknamed “Boo” at a young age by his uncle, Fred Evans . … Travis said he will sign in February after considering a handful of offers, including one from Tulsa. Travis said Arkansas State, Central Arkansas and Arkansas have
shown interest. …. Travis is also a forward on the basketball team at Northside.
DID YOU KNOW? Travis did not play football as a sophomore, a decision he said he regretted while sitting in the stands watching the Grizzlies lose to Greenwood
in the season-opener at Mayo-Thompson Stadium.
QUOTABLE “That Bentonville game, especially with the interception I had, was a highlight for me,” Travis said. “When we scored from the 1 on the next play, that gave us a lot of momentum. Beating
Greenwood in our second game was also a highlight, because we hadn’t beaten them in a while. We played to the best of our ability and came out with a win against a team that won a (state) championship.”