DK BILLINGSLEY

Hailing from Scottsboro high school, DK Billingsley has grown to be loved by “Trojan Nation” from the moment he stepped onto Veterans Memorial Stadium in 2017. Throughout six seasons, the 5-11 running back has grown from one of the most exciting new faces at Troy to a beloved leader on the ballfield.

Initially positioned at quarterback, Billingsley began his football career at 10. Football was a prized possession in the Billingsley household prior to his first snap, but safety concerns kept the future AL.com All-Huntsville Region Offensive MVP off the field. It wasn’t until his uncle Cedric Hayes talked his mother, Bertha, into giving him a chance that his family realized Billingsley’s football talents.

“I was her baby, and I’m the oldest in the family, so she was very hesitant at first,” Billingsley said. “My uncle got me into it when I was 10, and I started in a little league. I turned out to be really good at the game, and my mom said, ‘alright, go ahead and do your thing.’ So, I ended up playing through little league and into high school, and that led to Troy’”

It took two years for his little league coaches to realize the potential for Billingsley at the running back position. When he first began his football career, his coaches wanted to ensure the ball ended up in Billingsley’s hands, so they put him at quarterback. However, it wasn’t until his first practice in middle school that his long-time coach and mentor, Drew McNutt, placed him in his destined position of running back.

“I remember it was my first practice in middle school, and we were figuring out positions for the upcoming season,” Billingsley said. “I told him I was a quarterback, and he looked at me and said, ‘oh no, no, no, you’re not a quarterback. You’re playing running back.’”

Coach McNutt was more than just a coach to Billingsley. Due to tragic events, Billingsley lost his father, Dexter, when he was in eighth grade to epilepsy. From that moment, McNutt stepped into a mentor role and became a necessary father figure. Change “There are a million things I could say

about him,” Billingsley said. “He has

Page always been there for me. He would give me rides to practice and help my

mom with anything she needed after my father passed. He was so influential to me and my life; it just makes me emotional. He’s just an incredible man.”

Despite the passing of his father at such a young age, Billingsley emphasizes that his father is always with him, especially on the ballfield. He also accredits his dad as one of the most fundamental reasons why Billingsley loves the game of football so much.

“Right before my father passed, he was probably as influential as my uncle in getting me into the game of football,” Billingsley said. “I still remember in little league games, leading into high school games, he was always the loudest one in the stands. He had this unique yell, and I would say, ‘yep, that’s my dad.’ Right after he passed, and to this day, I always look up before the first offensive play and give a quick prayer. I always tell him, ‘I know you’re proud of me, and you’re looking down on me. Everything I do is for you, and I will keep our family name strong.’”

Billingsley had been receiving attention since his first snaps on the ballfield, but his explosion onto the scene came in his junior year. One of the names that called out to him was a familiar face in Jon Sumrall for the Trojans.

“Jon originally started coming to my high school a lot, and what made him different was that he wanted to connect with me personally and not just on the ballfield,” Billingsley said. “It all came full circle with him returning to Troy in my final year after he left during my first season. He just understands me as a person and as a player. We have a great relationship and have full trust in each other. You just got to love the guy. He has that mentality that makes you want to run through a brick