PICTURED: Arkansas Razorbacks defensive end and former Arkadelphia Badger quarterback Donovan Whitten. | Photo credit: ArkansasRazorbacks.com
By CHRIS BABB | Special to arkadelphian.com
Hard work pays off for Donovan Whitten
Almost exactly two years ago, Arkadelphia high school graduate and former Badger All-State quarterback Donovan Whitten began his journey as a preferred walk-on in the Arkansas Razorback football program.
That journey as a walk-on ended recently as Whitten was made a scholarship player by Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman the day before fall practices began.
Whitten began his career as a Razorback as a linebacker before being moved to defensive end after his first year on the hill. Whitten was one of three walk-ons rewarded for staying with the program in a time when transferring is more common than ever in college athletics.
As Whitten began fall practices in Fayetteville with a different perspective, his family and friends in Arkadelphia recognized that this was a reward for putting in the time with the program.
“I’m so proud of Donovan, said Badger head coach Trey Schucker. “He is representing our community, our school and our football program really well and we’re all supporting him.
“Donovan earning a scholarship goes to show what can happen when you are loyal and committed to something. The consistency of hard work pays off.”
Whitten entered camp battling for playing time at the defensive end position. As another Arkadelphia connection, Whitten’s position coach at defensive line is Deke Adams, a former defensive line coach at Ouachita Baptist. Adams and his wife Alexis lived in Arkadelphia in the early 2000s with their two sons Jaylen and Jordan. Whitten is also in the mix for a special teams position with the Razorbacks in the fall.
Whitten could be seen in a social media clip from the official Arkansas Razorback football X account that was taken of players heading down a hall in the football facility to the practice field for the first day of fall camp. Whitten is the second player in the video wearing a partially-visible number 52 on his practice jersey as he runs and hops down the hall talking to the camera.
The Razorbacks open the season Saturday, August, 30, in Fayetteville facing Alabama A&M. Arkansas will travel to Little Rock to face Arkansas State at War Memorial Stadium on Saturday, September 6. The much-debated matchup is the first one between the two universities.
Babe Ruth World Series
Arkadelphia’s Babe Ruth team poses with their opponents in the Babe Ruth World Series in Hot Springs. Arkadelphia (blue jerseys) is pictured with Eagle Pass, Texas, (gold jerseys) and the Philippines (white jerseys). | Photo courtesy of Ashley Roberson
A couple of weeks ago, we wrote about the Babe Ruth World Series taking place in Hot Springs this weekend. The tournament began over the weekend and teams wrapped up pool play on Tuesday. A full schedule and link to purchase tickets can be found here.
The Arkadelphia team invited to the tournament picked up its first win of the tournament Monday afternoon, defeating the Philippines 11-1. Arkadelphia’s Turner Ross earned the complete-game win on the mound and drove in two runs at the plate. Centerpoint’s Seth Fox was three-for-three from the plate with two RBI to pace the Arkadelphia offense. Arkadelphia is now 1-2 in pool play after a loss to Camas Washougal out of Washington and a narrow 2-0 loss in game two to Eagle Pass, Texas. Arkadelphia’s Cooper Roberson was named the Ron Tellefson Player of the Game in that game.
The Arkadelphia teams features team members from the Arkadelphia Babe Ruth league teams from Arkadelphia, Bismarck, Centerpoint and Prescott.
Arkadelphia’s final pool play game is scheduled for Tuesday at 5 pm. against undefeated Puerto Rico at Lakeside High School in Hot Springs. Click here to view live stats for all tournament games.