By DOCKER HAUB
Student Writer
The lights shine bright over Ranger Field on a warm, September Saturday night in Alva.
Dakota Driskill, a Junior Psychology major at Northwestern Oklahoma State University, is filled with excitement and anxiousness as he is about to start in his first home football game of his college career.
With his face marked with eye black and his shoulder pads strapped tight, Driskill is ready for war. He has been dreaming of this moment since he was a little kid, and he is ready to embrace the moment.
Driskill grew up in Wichita, Kansas, where he spent nearly all of his childhood involved in outdoor activities and athletics. From hunting and fishing, football, baseball, wrestling and even BMX racing, Driskill loved it all.
Even though he was talented at all these things, he excelled in football and wrestling above everything else. What most people don’t know about Dakota, is that he was a Kansas state champion in wrestling during his senior year of high school.
“I’m so glad I was a wrestler growing up,” Driskill said. “It taught me so many lessons about dedication and hard work and I also believe it made me a better football player.” During high school, Driskill didn’t know if he wanted to be a wrestler or a football player in college, he just knew that he wanted to excel at whatever he did and go on to play at the next level.
He received many wrestling offers as well as football offers as his senior year drew to a close. “It took me some time to finally make a decision,” he said. “but after reflecting by myself, as well as with my family, I knew I wasn’t done with football.”
Today, Driskill is proud to be a Ranger and proud to be living his dream.