Special Teams POW - Oct. 14

Year: Senior    Age: 17

Height/Weight: 6-1, 200

Positions: QB/FS/PR/KR

Sports: Basketball (point guard). "I'm thinking about doing a little track. Our track coach has been asking me for a while."

Performance: Exum returned two punts for touchdowns, one for 40 yards and another for 66. He also accounted for Deep Run's other three TDs, running for one (26 yards) and throwing for two others, both to Michael Dosh, in the Wildcats' 35-14 victory over Douglas Freeman.

On returns: "I think they were kicking away from Jordan [Love]. He had just returned a kick against TJ. I'm thinking maybe they weren't going to kick to him. The punt return team set up the blocks and I just made a play.
I've been doing special teams since I started at Deep Run. A big play on special teams is just a morale booster. The other team is so crushed by it that it's hard for them to bounce back on the next drive.

Best game ever?: "It might be. I don't want to say it's my best game ever. I want to say my best game is going to come. It was definitely one of my best games that I've had with five total TDs."

What makes you standout?: "I'm going to take pride in giving 100 percent on each play. When I do that and play as hard as I play, then there's no option for me but to stand out on the field. I don't worry about trying to stand out, I just worry about playing 100 percent and standing out will come by itself.

On unbeaten season: Right now, we're 6-0 and PH is going to be one of the tougher teams that we have faced. We see it as just being the second half of our season. That's really when the district play starts. In practice our mindset is more focused. We know that we can't really lose a game so we're going to try to come out and take it to them.

Favorite class: Business Law.

College decision: "I don't know. If I play offense, I prefer to play QB. If I play defense I can play corner or safety. I'm not sure yet, but that's something that I've considered. Some schools have said that I will have the opportunity to play both sports. I'm not cancelling that idea out yet.

"Right now, almost every weekend I've been at a college checking it out, going to games, seeing what the atmosphere is like. I gotta check on my clearinghouse stuff, once I've seen that they have that registered, I can start taking my official visits and go from there. I know I'm way past eligible." Exum carries a 3.3 GPA.

Funniest teammate: "Michael Dosh, because that's like my best friend and we just see stuff in a different way than other people. He just makes me laugh all the time."

What's with the point to the end zone when you're about to score?: "That Hanover game was hyped up all week. There was a little bit of drama behind the game. That first TD when I broke through, I guess it was just emotion. Then I did it later on, too. I haven't done it since because I don't think my coach liked it too much. I just think that was a little emotion because that was a big game for us."

On Deep Run athletics: Football (No. 2), field hockey (No. 6), girls and boys volleyball (No. 2) and golf (in state tournament) are all ranked in the DigitalSports Top 10.

"I think it has a lot to do with character. The way the athletes at Deep Run compete. I'm real proud of the school and the other teams. I think this is our sixth year as a school. For us to already have the success that we've had athletically, I think that's amazing.

"I take my hat off to the coaches, athletic directors and everyone else. Especially the athletes."

- Stephen M. Lewis