WS Chronicle

Photo by Timothy Ramsey

BY TIMOTHY RAMSEY

THE CHRONICLE

Carver High graduate Dequan Napper has found that his football scholarship was just the icing on the cake.

Napper will be attending Elizabeth City State University come this August.  Along with being talented on the football field, Napper is very studious in the classroom as well. He was able to obtain enough scholarship money for his scholastic achievements to cover the cost of school, which made any assistance from football extra funds for books or classroom materials.

“My dad introduced me to football and basketball at the age of 4 and I loved them both initially,” Napper said.  “When I got to high school, I broke my ankle playing basketball and I lost the love for the game.  I then opened my eyes to the game of football and came to love it.”

Napper helped Carver to an 8-5 record this past sea-son and says he loves the physicality of the game the most.  He said his favorite moment from last season was making the game-winning tackle against Mt. Tabor.

Pastor Daryl Napper of First Baptist Church in Winston-Salem is Dequan’s father. He says he is very proud of his son’s achievements.  He says he made sure all of his children focused on academics first and athletics second.

“We always strive to tell our kids that they are student athletes. Because a scholarship was taken from me, I let them know that no one can take your academics away from you.  I am extremely proud of him, and all I require now is that he brings home that degree,” said Pastor Napper.

Dequan Napper plans on majoring in Criminal Justice. Upon graduation Napper wants to become a private investigator.  He says he has always been interested in the field. Because he notices everything around him, he says, it will be a perfect career field for him.  He went on to say that he just wants to go in and perform to the best of his abilities come the fall and contribute where he can.

Dequan said that he will miss his teammates most of all because of the shared love they all had for the game of football. He wants to express to younger student athletes that they must remember where they came from and academics are of the utmost importance because coaches will not come see you unless you perform on the field and in the classroom.