Passion cannot be taught. It cannot be learned. And when an athlete has it, watch out, because that athlete will be special.
Spend a few minutes with Dolores senior running back/linebacker Deano Valdez and it becomes clear that the young man has passion. Passion for the game of football, passion for his teammates and passion for the Bears' insignia that he carries on his helmet each and every game.
A fiery player who consistently gives his all, Valdez has spent this season spearheading the Bears' running game and delivering big plays on the defensive side of the ball.
"I like running the ball a lot, and I've been doing pretty good with that," said Valdez. "I've been getting a lot of tackles at linebacker."
"(Valdez) is a big-hit guy," explained Bears' head coach Chris Trusler. "He gets really fired up, and he's real emotional about the game. Every play that he's in, he plays it like it is his last play that he'll ever play."
Because of his passion, Valdez tends to draw the attention of his younger teammates, who look to him for leadership and guidance. In response, Valdez consistently stresses the importance of pride in a developing Bears' football program.
"Off the field, (Valdez) tries to help mentor the guys," Trusler said. "He really tries to instill pride in these younger guys. He wants them to have the same pride in the program as they get older as he does now."
In addition to the contributions he has made to the Bears' football program, Valdez is a standout wrestler and baseball player at Dolores high school.
"It's kind of rough," said Valdez of being a three-sport athlete. "You always want to train really hard on one (sport), but you also want to focus on your other two (sports) at the same time. It's good though because it makes you a really good athlete, and it just makes you a better person all around."
Looking ahead to the future, Valdez said he would like to receive a college scholarship to play one of his three sports.
For the time being, however, the senior is focused on finishing the 2013 football season on a high note.
"Our defense has been shutting a lot of people down," said Valdez. "On offense, we started slow, but we've been doing a lot better. I hope that we can finish strong."
Considering the passion Valdez brings to the football field, there is no reason why a strong finish to the season is beyond the realm of possibilities.
imaclaren@cortezjournal.com