Davon Booth, the speedster running back at Cerritos College and as his teammates call him “Von,” recently committed to play with the Utah State Aggies.
The Falcons running back said the reason why he committed to Utah State is because of the amazing view, the campus, the togetherness and family orientated town.
“I remember it was eight o’clock at night and you still see kids playing and it’s a pretty safe town. I always say to myself, ‘Without football, would I ever live there?’ and I could see myself living there,” Booth said.
Booth talked about how he has a son now and talked about how his life changed for the better, “I love being at home with him, he brings joy.”
With a son in the world, Booth talked about his girlfriend, “I don’t have any words. You wake up, you see them smiling and it just brings life to your day.”
He also talked about the game he attended where Utah State took on Air Force, “The atmosphere was crazy. The fans yelling. The student center was by far the best I’ve ever seen.”
Booth first played football when he was around eight years old when he began and said that his cousins, Elijhaa Penny and Rashaad Penny, who both have successful NFL careers, got him into football.
He also talked about how his mother had 12 children and the impact they had on his life.
“They were supportive of the jump,” Booth said adamantly, “I said, ‘I wanted to play football’ and they said, ‘okay,’ when I had games, they went to the games. Now, they’re even more supportive, they want me to pursue my dreams and keep chasing them.”
“I went to a team called the Paramount Pirates when I was nine and that’s when I saw myself playing football for the rest of my life,” he added.
Booth was a two-way player at El Monte High School, playing both running back and safety, but is now focused on playing running back.
Coming out of high school, he didn’t get any college offers and decided to go to Cerritos because his cousin Elijhaa went to Cerritos in 2011, “I just knew Cerritos was a good place I can go to if I want to go to other Division I schools.”
“It was my first year against PCC [Pasadena City], my first game of the year,” Booth explains as he talks about his ‘come to college moment,’ “I’m running the ball, and I see the d-line keeping up with me and I’m like ‘wow, this is serious.’”
The Falcons running back said that his ability to read the wholes was god-given, just like his speed and agility, but also due to watching film, “The one thing I always say is ‘be patient, read the blocks, once they block it correctly, just go off there.”
The coaches have a huge influence on refining and creating new skills, Booth talks about how in his first year at Cerritos, Coach Montera and Coach Lindsey taught him a new way to hold the ball.
“Hand over the watch,” he said, “Once you get into contact, you put the hand over the watch and hold it high and tight.”
When you play in any sport, there’s a bond that comes with it and Booth said that he would play 2k with some of the offensive players and chill out with the players and their families.
That bond with the team lasts forever, Booth said and that bond also helps them on the field as well.
The all-purpose running back said he’s ready for a high workload, “I would love that. If I have to get the ball 50 times, I’m going to run as hard as I can 50 times.”
“My goal is to be the best man possible,” Booth said, “If that’s either having a job, owning a business or playing football, that’s what it is.”
Booth envisions himself hopefully in the NFL, getting his master’s or anything school-related, and being a good father and husband.
