Huston Dunston Jr. is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Desert Vista High School for AZPreps365.com.

Desert Vista head coach Nate Gill has plenty of impact players.

None will catch your eye more than Antonio Delgado.

The senior linebacker does everything in his power to stand out on and off the field.

“His commitment to the details and how hard he works at everything set him apart from many,” Gill said.

 Family led Delgado to football.

“I would say mainly my brothers, I was given the choice of what I wanted to do but I used to always watch my brothers play baseball when I was 2-3 and it never really interested them or me so they ended up moving to football and I instantly fell in love," he said.

"I loved the movement, the hitting, the scratches and bruises, it was all so cool to me seeing my older brothers come home after practice and games with 'monkey bumps,' scratches and bruises. Eventually I was given the opportunity to play when I was about 7."

Delgado and his parents were invited to practice. He joined the team and was hitting and block well.

Then hurt one of his teammates with one of those hits.

"I had thought from that day forward that I wouldn’t try to hit anymore," Delgago said. "My coach heard about this and told me something like 'You’re not going to hurt your teammates, you are just going to make them better and they will make you better,' and ever since that day, I just loved hitting and playing the game of football,”

Everyone needs that little push or someone that has their back to help them find their passion and pursue it. 

Family is Delgado's support system.

“My family has always believed and supported in everything I do," he said. "I really just want to make it up to them for showing up to all my games and events throughout the year. I want to prove that they didn’t do it for nothing. Also as an 'undersized' player I really want to show people that size doesn’t really matter on the field and if you can ball, then you can ball.”

Delgado wears No. 9. Most players have a hidden meaning behind their number choice.

His isn't. 

“Mmmm no, there’s not really a reason to it," he said. "I went from No. 39 in youth to No. 56 freshman and sophomore year to now No. 9 junior and senior year. I’ve thought about going to No. 52 just because that’s what the greatest linebackers wear, but I want to try and make my own path. Numbers don’t really matter when it comes to playing the game but I like the way No. 9 looks.”