Keelon Russell, a five-star recruit from Duncanville High School committed to playing quarterback for Alabama, won the 2024-25 Gatorade National Football Player of the Year award earlier this month.
The 6 foot 4 inch senior was surprised with the honor after practice on Tuesday, Dec. 10, by Dallas Cowboys cornerback and Alabama football alum Trevon Diggs. Russell was surrounded by family, teammates, and coaches when presented with a trophy to mark the occasion.
For four decades, Gatorade has honored the nation's elite high school athletes for excellence on the field, in the classroom, and in their communities.
Get top local stories in DFW delivered to you every morning. >Sign up for NBC DFW's News Headlines newsletter.
Russell is a Duncanville’s National Honor Society member and has volunteered locally with the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization, distributing turkeys to the Duncanville community as part of a joint effort with the Dallas Cowboys. Russell has also maintained a 3.4 GPA in the classroom and plans to enroll at the University of Alabama next fall, where he will play football.
“Russell is an elite playmaker for the quarterback position who feathers the line between risk and reward like few others,” said Andrew Ivins, 247Sports Director of Scouting. “He’s extremely accurate at all three levels [of the passing game] and there are few throws that he can’t make. He has had a star-studded supporting cast around him, but he has done more than just drive the bus. Multiple times throughout the season, he rose to the occasion and essentially turned into a superhero.”
Russell, Gatorade said, now joins a list of former players of the year that have combined for more than six NFL MVP awards, 31 Pro Bowl appearances, six NFL first-round draft picks, and two enshrinements in the Hall of Fame.
“The Gatorade Player of the Year Program has a 40-year history of recognizing young athletes on their journey to greatness,” said Gatorade Chief Brand Officer Anuj Bhasin. “Russell’s accomplishments have earned him a spot on the trophy alongside so many iconic athletes, and we can’t wait to see the legacy he will leave behind.”
Russell joins a list of Gatorade POTY alumni that includes Emmitt Smith (1986-87, Escambia High School, Fl.), Peyton Manning (1993-94, Isidore Newman School, La.), and DJ Lagway (2023-24, Willis High School, Texas).
Duncanville (13-0) is still alive in the playoffs and has a semifinal matchup against North Crowley (14-0) at 3 p.m. Saturday at Allen’s Eagle Stadium.
As part of Gatorade’s commitment to breaking down barriers in sports, every Player of the Year also receives a grant to donate to a social impact partner. To date, the Gatorade Player of the Year program has provided more than $5.6 million in grants to winners across more than 2,000 organizations.
To learn more about the Gatorade Player of the Year program, check out past winners, or nominate student-athletes, visit playeroftheyear.gatorade.com.
2024 Playoffs Schedules and Results: 6A | 5A | 4A | 3A | 2A | 1A
