DayDay Pridgen -- All-Area DPOY

By Allen Etzler
Published in Sports on December 29, 2014 1:52 PM

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"In my three years on varsity I caught around 15 interceptions, so I was a little disappointed when I didn't player of the year these past two years," Pridgen said. "But it means a lot that everybody is finally noticing what I did.

In a year where Pridgen was selected to the Shrine Bowl, won Homecoming king, scored game-winning touchdowns, and now is player of the year, the awards are nice, but they aren't what is important.

Because despite being recognized for all of those honors, he would give them all back for one more hug from his mother, Jinifer, who passed away in September a few weeks into the season.

But after experiencing one of the biggest losses imaginable, Pridgen found solace in his football family to keep his spirits and performance high.

"I think my mom had a lot to do with (my performance and getting noticed)," he said. "She always told me I would get exposure soon, and since she passed it's been happening. It's her ... It just fueled me even more to play for her because she's watching my every move on the field."

Pridgen's best performance of the season came in a 40-point romp where the Warriors upset 4-A state-ranked J.H. Rose, and the senior corner held Clemson recruit Cornell Powell two grabs for 11 yards.

The only other game in which Spell played the entirety and was held to below 90 yards receiving was in Rose's second-round playoff loss to New Bern. Pridgen held the future D-1 receiver to 85 yards below his average game total.

The performance wasn't the only reason that game against Rose was a turning point for Pridgen, though. He couldn't shake the thought of losing his mother and at halftime it broke him.

"I broke down but the guys rallied behind me and played for her," he said as the needle starts to fill in the shading on his first tattoo.

He didn't stay down for long. He couldn't. He had so much left to prove -- for himself and his mother. Pridgen finished the year with three interceptions despite quarterbacks rarely even attempting to throw his way.

"(This season) just shows his heart and determination," EW teammate Deshawn Boudy said. "It shows when he puts his mind to something nothing is going to stop him from achieving it. It just shows his character."

Ever since he was a kid, Pridgen has set out to prove he is the best. It started when he and his brother, LaMorris, a receiver, would argue over who was better than the other. There was no choice but to settle it in the back yard. Most of the time it ended in the two throwing haymakers at each other.

"It was I think I'm better, he thinks he's better let's go find out," LaMorris said. "We got pretty good at hiding it so (our mother) wouldn't find out, because we knew we would get in trouble."

But looking back on it now, Dayshawn realizes it's those back yards battles -- and often times brawls -- are what got him where he is.

"I realized it (was preparing me) as I got older. It got me tough," he says.

The tattoo is finished, and it should have been obvious what he was getting all along.

Over his heart there's a football representing the game and family that got him through, and inside the ball is the word "Momma," the reason for everything he's accomplished.