Senior Wide Receiver Deonte Thompson - Pausing For Reflection
Monday, September 19, 2011 | Football
By Emily Arthur, UF Communications
Time has flown by for University of Florida redshirt senior Deonte Thompson. Like any competitive athlete, being patient is a key component of his success. For the Belle Glade native, it is a tremendous honor for him to be playing in The Swamp, representing his team and town, and showcasing his talent.
Now more than ever, Thompson finds himself reminiscing about his days of youth football with the Okeechobee Center Bulldogs, and reflecting upon how far he has come since then with in his final campaign as a Gator underway.
“The field where I used to practice is right near my house,” the wide receiver said. “So, every time I go home, I go past it and remember walking home with my shoulder pads and helmet from practice.”
Thompson became involved with organized football when he was in the third grade. Having played in simple backyard games prior to that point, recreational football came as a great joy, and ease, in his life. His natural athleticism was displayed at full force in his first years of tackle football.
“I played pretty much every position on the football field,” Thompson remembered. “Everywhere from the offensive line, defensive line, linebacker, tight end, receiver, quarterback, running back… I played them all. Everybody played football down there; we just grew up with football.”
Thompson shined all the way through youth football to land himself a spot on the Glades Central High School varsity team as a freshman. It's a rare occurrence for the area to have a player so young make the squad due to the immense pool of talented athletes. The coaches saw a unique skill-set in Thompson, one that influenced them to list him as a quarterback, and not as a wide receiver.
“They only had two quarterbacks on varsity so they had me as their third option,” Thompson said. “As the season went on, they had me playing wide receiver because I wanted to play and didn't want to sit on the bench. So, I just started playing receiver and here we are today. I was never supposed to play wide receiver; I was supposed to be the team's quarterback. I'm happy it turned out that way.”
That position shift was an imperative one for the Florida Gators. During his time at Glades Central, Thompson's receiving prowess helped lead his team to the Class 3A state championship in 2006, and earned him a spot as a U.S. Army All-American. Having four years of varsity experience at wide receiver under his belt as a high school athlete made Thompson an even more attractive candidate for the Gators.
“I was already a polished receiver coming in to Florida so it was an easier transition from high school,” he said.
Thompson's time at UF has provided him with a variety of football and life experiences. He was redshirted in 2007 and did not see any playing time the entire season. The following year, Thompson was on the opposite end of the spectrum, participating in every game during the 2008 season in which the Gators claimed their second national championship in three years. Although it was difficult at the time, watching from the sideline as a true freshman, looking back now Thompson sees that it was the best thing for him.
“I'm very happy I did that because I learned so much from watching the game,” he acknowledged. “It taught me a great amount of patience.”
As far as his senior season goes, there is no doubt that after everything he has been through with his years at Florida, Thompson certainly knows what he wants to achieve during his last few months in the Orange and Blue.
“I just want to win. When you win, everything falls into place,” Thompson said. “When you win, everything that you dream of comes true. I have been a part of winning and losing. I've learned a lot from both, but when you win, everybody is happy, everybody gets what they want and everybody is up for an award. When you lose, no matter how good the season is, it's still a bitter feeling.”
On track to graduate in December with a bachelor's degree in Family, Youth and Community Sciences, Thompson's education has been a great motivation for his life. He plans on applying what he's learned in school by starting up a non-profit organization for children in his hometown of Belle Glade to help kids stay on a positive path in life.
“I love my major and everything I've learned from it,” Thompson stated. “It's so relevant because I want to start a non-profit organization dealing with kids. I want to help them, give them pointers about a better life in a positive way. I want to go back to Belle Glade and show that there is a better way. It's a rural, high-crime area so I want to go back and show the kids that there are different ways to be successful.”
A major factor in Thompson's success on and off of the football field comes from the support provided by his family and, in particular, his mother.
“I'm a momma's boy. My Mom is my greatest support system,” Thompson said. “She's always been there for me. She's at every single home game and she tries to attend every away game too.”
Thompson looks back at his time playing for the Gators with a great sense of pride, knowing that throughout his years donning the Gator uniform that he has contributed everything he can to his team. He feels strength and accomplishment when he sees where he started out from, where he is today and his hopes for the future.
“When I go back home and ride past the old fields, my mind wanders back to when I was a little kid playing football there,” Thompson said. “It's crazy how the time flies to look back and think about how far I've come since playing as a kid and to know that I'm still at it, still going strong.”
