National Scouting Report is dedicated to finding scholarship opportunities for athletes who possess the talent, desire, and motivation to compete at the collegiate level. We’ve helped connect thousands of athletes with their perfect college.
If you are ready to take your recruiting to the next level, click the Get Scouted button below to be evaluated by an NSR College Scout.
Get Scouted Scouting Careers
Safety Finds Ways to Contribute After Repeat InjuryFollowing that first summer practice in which he began as the fourth-team safety, Doug was given one of the team’s two starting spots as the 2009 season kicked off. That’s where Doug’s story took a tragic turn. He suffered a season-ending knee injury which put him out of action early on. So early, in fact, that the team was permitted by the NCAA to declare him a redshirt. Moreover, his injury was so severe that Doug was forced to return home in Florida to recuperate.
This season Doug once again came to summer practice with a singular goal in mind – to regain his first string position. By the time the initial 2010 game rolled around, he was again named one of the team’s starting safeties. But, as luck would have it, in his first game back, Doug once more heard a familiar crunch in his knee. He knew immediately what it meant – his ACL was damaged again and he would be out for the season. This time, though, Doug refused to leave school for rehab. Being a Panther simply meant too much to Doug.
End of story? Not quite. You see, Doug Wilmot loves Greenville football more than just about anything else and while other injured players typically might fade into the background, if not disappear altogether, Doug’s involvement with the squad never wavered. In an interview with the Daytona Beach News-Journal, Panthers defensive backs coach, P.J. Gaylord, said, “Doug’s a guy who’s been at every meeting, every practice, every film session (since his injury). We can only take so many players when we travel, but he’s a guy I have to have just because of what he does for the team on the sideline and in the locker room.”
So, what’s next for Doug? What else? He plans to completely rehab and make another run at that starting safety spot in 2011. This time around, he’ll have a whole team and coaching staff rooting for him to succeed.
*Editor’s Note: Doug’s NSR scout was Dave Johnson who covers Northcentral Florida for NSR.
National Scouting Report is dedicated to finding scholarship opportunities for athletes who possess the talent, desire, and motivation to compete at the collegiate level. We’ve helped connect thousands of athletes with their perfect college.