WAKEFIELD FOOTBALL
Senior Travis Carrington received the Ironman Award during last week's Wolverine football banquet, celebrating his hard work throughout his four-year career. In the future, the Ironman Award will be renamed the Travis Carrington Awards, said Wakefield head coach J.D. Dinwiddie.
Wakefield's Ironman
Senior Travis Carrington honored at Wolverine football banquet
Travis Carrington's senior season might have come to an end, but the Wakefield football player's legacy will live on long past his playing days.
At the Wolverines' football banquet at Trinity Baptist Church in Raleigh Dec. 3, the Wakefield coaching staff, led by J.D. Dinwiddie, presented Carrington with the Ironman Award for his inspiration and work ethic during his high school career.
Born with a mild form of Cerebral Palsy, which affects the movement on his right side, Carrington played football all four years of high school, including on the varsity team his junior and senior seasons.
According to Dinwiddie, the IRONman acronym stands for Inspiration, Resilient, Optimistic and Nucleus — traits the senior offered in abundance.
During an emotional presentation, Carrington received his Ironman plaque — which will be renamed the Travis Carrington Award beginning next season — in front of the entire Wakefield program.
"It's something I had in my mind since the beginning of the year," Dinwiddie said. "I wanted to do something special for him, to signify his commitment to our program and everything he stands for. He definitely deserved it. "
The senior said he was caught off guard by the award, and very humbled.
"I was surprised. I didn't believe. I didn't think it was happening," he said three days after the ceremony. "It was great that Coach Dinwiddie and the other coaches gave me an opportunity to play football. I am very appreciative and blessed that the coaching staff would do something like this for me."
At 5-foot-9, 130 pounds, Carrington was a reserve defensive lineman for the Wolverines this fall. While his playing time was limited to the closing minutes of most games, Carrington's effect on the Wakefield squad was felt most on the practice field.
"He never complains." teammate Will Butler said of Carrington earlier this season. "He always gives a good attitude, and always gives 100 percent."
Assistant coach Cliff Crabtree said before the season that Travis' greatest attribute was his resiliency.
Travis Carrington (No. 73) was one of Wakefield's football captains this fall.
"The best guys we have on this team will knock him down, and he will get right back up," the coach said.
While his toughness on the field was without question, defensive line coach Brian Reeve lauded Carrington's mental approach as equally important to his success.
"His personality is great," the assistant said. "You can joke with him, and I've never seen him frustrated. He always keeps a cool head. And I've never seen him complain. He's just the best."
Susan Starnes, who's son Alex played with Travis, said there "wasn't a dry eye in the house" during last week's ceremony.
Dinwiddie admitted he was equally choked up. And Travis recalled the best part was seeing his father, in attendance, tear up.
Carrington was also presented with an autographed Julius Pepper's helmet and photograph, donated by the Carolina Panther defensive end. It just so happens Peppers is one of Travis' favorite football players. And during an interview earlier this season, Travis explained he even tailored his game after the former UNC Tar Heel.
Ironically, Carrington said he wasn't looking forward to the banquet this fall, explaining it marked the completion of the season.
"The worst part of the year is when the banquet comes because you know the season's over," he said. "You realize that your career is over. All good things come to an end, but I'm disappointed it's over."
But Carrington said he's proud to have taken the field, and given his best effort for the Wolverines.
"I'm so happy because it feels like all my hard work these last four years have paid off," he said. "I wanted to show everybody, no matter how big or small you are, you can always work hard. You can always improve on your weaknesses."
As for the future, Carrington plans to attend college — possibly at UNC-Pembroke — and continue working on his goal of bench-pressing more than 200 pounds.
While Carrington won't don the Wakefield's No. 73 again, Dinwiddie said Travis' presence in the program will carry on.
"It's been nothing but a pleasure and a blessing to coach him," he said. "If you have met him or watched him, that says it all about him in my opinion. You can't really put it into words what he's meant to our program."
