Tara High’s Dallas Fort Driving the Competition

by Courtney Maciasz

 

October 21, 2009 - Tara High School’s Dallas Fort is making a name for himself this season running for 673 yards on 126 carries and 7 touchdowns in just 5 ½ games this season. His name has been slow to get out in recruiting circles, but he’s quickly catching the attention of numerous in-state and out-of-state colleges. To learn more about Baton Rouge’s Dallas Fort, check out the following Q&A:

LFM: What’s your height and weight?
DF: I’m 5’8, 195 pounds.

LFM: How long have you been playing football?
DF: Since I was 10. I was playing in the BREC League.

LFM: What position do you play?
DF: Running back.

LFM: Have you always played running back?
DF: When I was in BREC I played center because I was the biggest person on the team. My second year of BREC they put me at running back when they saw I had a little bit of speed with me.

LFM: What do you run the 40-yard dash in?
DF: 4.5 seconds

LFM: What schools are recruiting you right now?
DF: Ole Miss, Southern Miss, McNeese, ULL, Tennessee, and Stanford. They are recruiting me as a running back, but I haven’t had any offers yet.

LFM: How would you describe the recruiting process?
DF: I have to say that if a school really wants me, then they are going to contact me. I’ve been getting a lot of letters of interest, and I’ve had recruiters come to some of the games to watch me play.

LFM: How have you gotten the word out about yourself to colleges?
DF: It all started with Marcus Randall, who played for LSU. He kinda helped put my name out there because he knew a lot of coaches from different schools. I had also gone to this camp called The Real Deal Football Camp. That helped me out a lot. It’s a football camp for players who may not be able to afford going to camps like LSU or Texas. They put your information in a magazine that is issued to different colleges. That was over the summer, sometime in July.

LFM: Were you being recruited before your senior season?
DF: It really just started over the summer.

LFM: What is your workout regiment like?
DF: I do a lot of power lifting. I run the levees and resistance running pulling tires. I run stadiums. Over the summer, I worked out two to three times a day. I really didn’t take a break over the summer. Even on weekends I was going after it.

LFM: Do you think being under the radar works to your advantage?
DF: I think it works to my advantage because it pushed me to work harder over the summer. It just kept that drive in me, because last year and over the summer people didn’t know who I was. They were like, “Dallas, who?” So, it has just pushed me to work harder and harder.

LFM: How would you describe your style of play?
DF: I like to call myself a balanced type of running back, because I can get to the outside, make the moves, cut across. I consider myself a complete running back. I can catch the pass and make the block.

LFM: What’s your favorite part of the game?
DF: Getting in the open field one-on-one with the defender, and making that one move to make them miss. That’s the best aspect of my game.

LFM: What’s your favorite stadium to play in?
DF: I would have to say Olympia Stadium because the atmosphere is so alive. The crowd always seems louder there. It just makes me play better when I hear the fans behind me.

LFM: Who’s your favorite NFL team?
DF: Minnesota Vikings

LFM: Who’s your favorite college team?
DF: Texas Longhorns

LFM: What’s your favorite food?
DF: I would have to say rice and gravy with smothered chicken on the side.