MORGANTOWN -
While
his teammates took their turns signing for scholarships to a variety of
programs Wednesday, D'Vontis Arnold had a slightly different form in hand.
The
Miramar (Fla.) running back had made the decision to give up a scholarship
offer at Bethune-Cookman to instead accept an invitation as a preferred walk-on
at West Virginia.
"I
signed a paper that said I was going to attend WVU to play football," says
Arnold. "I have to go up there, show what I have, show my talent and then
hopefully I'll get a scholarship. That's what I'm going up there to do."
Arnold was faced with a choice between what may be an easier
route both on himself and his family or taking on a challenge that while filled
with uncertainty, could pay off immensely if he's up to it. He chose the more
difficult path, and with encouragement from the people around him, he intends
to succeed.
"My mom and my coaches already told me I have to go up there
and I can't lollygag around," he says. "I need to go up there and get it, and
that's what I plan on doing."
One of his coaches who was instrumental in bringing the
Mountaineers into the picture was of course Damon Cogdell, the former WVU
linebacker who has been a big part of the success current coaches have had
recruiting Miramar athletes.
Cogdell has made it clear in the past that he never tries to
push a student to his alma mater, but if one asks about WVU, he rarely has
anything negative to say about his time there.
But even without Cogdell to give him a push, there was
another factor recently that caught Arnold's attention.
"The
Orange Bowl," says Arnold. "Their offense was kind of like our offense from
this past season, so I just thought I'd be a great fit for their program."
Miramar's offense this past season helped the team come away
with 13 victories as it spent much of the season in the nation's top 10. When
Arnold comes to WVU, he'll be joining another key part of that Patriots attack
with Devonte Mathis, a receiver who signed with the Mountaineers Wednesday.
"It's going to be a very good thing because Devonte is a
very good friend of mine," says Arnold. "I played on the same offense as him, I
protected him at quarterback and he blocked for me so I could get in the
secondary, so it's very good. We have a good connection and I think it's going
to be a lot of fun."
At 6-foot, 200 pounds, Arnold isn't cut from the same cloth
as the freshman rushers WVU brought in a season ago. He likes to think that his
game is more versatile than many other backs because he's put in the time and
effort to make it so.
"I'm very determined; I'm a tough runner," he says. "I don't
let the first man bring me down. Not only do I run the ball, because I'm a
running back, I take pride in being able to protect the quarterback. In the
offseason, I took time out to work on my pass blocking. I also improved on my
receiving and now I've been working on getting faster."
Arnold will have an uphill climb ahead of him, but there's a
reason why WVU running backs coach Robert Gillespie singled him out as a
preferred walk-on. He has potential, and it will be up to him to reach it.
The best part of the entire equation for Arnold is that he
will have a support system in Morgantown that wants to see him excel. Not only
will Mathis be there for him, but so will three other former Patriots you may
have heard of – Geno Smith, Stedman Bailey and Ivan McCartney.
Arnold and McCartney won a state title together in Arnold's
sophomore year. It was that year, McCartney's senior, that Arnold first really
learned about West Virginia University and its connection with his high school.
Now he wants to add his name to the legacy.
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