Teenager Austin “Sunshine” Freeman is ready for one of the biggest years of his young athletic career as he heads into high school football, where he’ll look to showcase his talents. The 14-year-old can be placed anywhere around the field as long as he has the chance to get the football. Specifically, Freeman can play running back, wide receiver, and cornerback. All three positions where his team will lean on him extensively. 

Freeman picked up the game of football at the young age of 6. Flag football led him to want more, eventually playing with pads by the 3rd grade. He picked up football very quickly, a rare talent where he knows how to utilize his speed and agility to defend a receiver or hit the endzone. At 13 years old, Freeman ran an astounding 4.80 for a 40-yard dash; anyone with that speed on the football field is a problem for the opposing team. Typically, he’s always played a year ahead of his age group, proving to compete with kids who are older than him. However, this past season, since it was his last year of middle school, he played with kids his age and absolutely dominated. Proving to be a ball hawk cornerback, he made sure no opposing receiver scored any touchdowns on him, racked up numerous interceptions, and had a handful of tackles for losses (TFL.) Freeman loves playing man coverage defense when he’s at cornerback. 

An essential attribute about Freeman is he’s a winner. In his young career, he’s been to four state titles, two second-place finishes, two USA invitational tournament championships, one AYF National Championship appearance, and three undefeated seasons. Put that on a resume, and any coach would be stunned to see that. While it may seem like the game comes easily for Freeman, he puts in the work to make himself known on the football field. A key part of his training regimen is explosive drills while also lifting weights so he can jam the receiver at the line of scrimmage, allowing him to go nowhere. 

There’s so much to like about football, but for Freeman, it’s the team sport aspect that he admires. Freeman knows that he can rely on himself and his teammates to make the right decisions. Ensuring everyone is on the same page holding each other accountable is an asset to winning football games. He’s also a student-athlete; earning honor roll consistently is something every coach wants to see. Freeman's motivation is remarkable for someone his age, he knows there will always be someone out there trying to outwork him, and that’s a chip on his shoulder to work even harder.

As for the future, Freeman’s goal is to play at the University of Utah or Arizona State University at Sun Devil Stadium. With his motivation and work ethic, anything is possible for him. For now, he’ll have his eyes set on high school football.