2013 high school football preview: Dante Booker Jr., Parris Campbell Jr. form a bond at St. V-M; set to continue it at Ohio State
By Michael Beaven
Beacon Journal sports writer
Published: August 28, 2013
St. Vincent-St. Mary Dante Booker (left) and Parris Campbell are both seniors and will be attending Ohio State to play football after graduation. (Phil Masturzo/Akron Beacon Journal)
The usual questions about football came and went, and Dante Booker Jr. and Parris Campbell Jr. answered honestly and with a straight face.
Questions such as who is faster and who is stronger.
“Parris is,” Booker said when the who is faster question arose. Campbell said: “I am” simultaneously.
Who is stronger? Campbell said: “Dante is.” Booker said “I am.”
OK.
What about who is funnier and a better dancer and singer?
Booker and Campbell, St. Vincent-St. Mary High School seniors and Ohio State recruits, smiled at each other and laughed.
The momentary pause was filled by Campbell.
“Outside of football, we can both be characters,” he said. “We both have our times where we crack some jokes. We can be two clowns. We like to have fun. That is everybody around here though. Everybody likes to clown around.”
St. V-M coach Dan Boarman laughed when the question was posed to him because he has been around the dynamic duo since they were freshmen.
“They are both real quiet leaders,” Boarman said. “Neither one is real loud. Just speaking to them, you can tell they are quiet. That is really their personality.
“I was joking at our senior meeting about how quiet of a class this is. Normally at our senior meeting prior to the season, you get a lot of guys speaking up and saying things. Not a lot was said by these seniors. I saw Booker after the meeting and said: ‘Book why didn’t you say anything?’ He said: ‘Coach, you know I don’t talk much. I speak with my actions.’ I said. ‘I have no problem with that, but you understand that when you do speak, people listen.’
“I think as he grows more and more he will understand that. He is not a big talker. He is one that does speak with his actions. He is a leader from the standpoint that when he does speak, people do listen to him. It’s the same with Parris. I am trying to get them to speak more.”
Booker, who is 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds, makes his presence felt against Fighting Irish opponents by the way he plays linebacker. Campbell, who is 6-foot-1 and 185 pounds, dazzles opponents as a running back.
Together, they helped St. V-M win the Division III state championship and post a 13-2 record last season.
cont...
