24/7: Donovan Peoples-Jones - Freak athlete, A student

Mods - If Brian linked to this in his pieces on front page feel free to delete. 

DPJ is a must get.  One of the best athletes to come out of MI in a long time, Cass Tech, dad is a Wolverine and apparently takes his academics seriously too.   Work ethic separates the great players from the very good.  Nice piece by 247.  OSU currently crystall ball leader but #Harbaugh.  Based on Jim's recruiting tactics with that GA LB last Jan, expect a lot of visits to Verizon in the next year. 

During the summer, the 6-foot-2, 192-pound Peoples-Jones proved he is the most athletic football player in the country, winning the Nike Football Rating Championship at The Opening among a prestigious group of prospects in Beaverton, Ore. The Freak ran a 4.42 40-yard dash with a 4.0 shuttle and a 42-4 inch vertical leap.

“I think the most important thing about Donovan is that he has a desire, he has a hunger and he’s always trying to strive for it which makes him a great player,” Cass Tech coach Tom Wilcher said. “He’s hungry all the time. All he wants to do is eat. He doesn’t look at it as where he is. He’s looking at it as where he wants to be at, and he can’t stop till he gets there. Once he gets there, he’ll probably have a whole different set of goals to what he wants to be.”

Peoples-Jones has a 3.9 GPA and is an aspiring orthopedic surgeon like his father. His mother Rozlyn Peoples works for Verizon and sets the tone for her son.  “We’ve taught a different discipline and work ethic and honor and humbleness and it’s done well for his character,” Rozlyn said.

The only way Peoples-Jones was allowed to play football was if he performed in the classroom. He may be a better student than he is athlete, securing all As during his time at Southfield Christian.

“His focus and determination, sometimes, especially during football season he’ll stay up till 2 or 3 in the morning doing homework,” Rozlyn said. “I’ll ask him if he wants any help and he says no it’s my responsibility to get the work done.

With the maturity he displays on a daily basis, Peoples-Jones’s parents trust him to make the right decision and are letting him handle the recruiting process. That’s even with his father being a graduate of the Michigan medical school.  “That’s his school,” Peoples-Jones said. “Any time you have an alma mater, a distinguished alma mater, it’s going to make a difference. He loves Michigan. He really just tells me it’s up to me wherever I want to go. It’s my life, my passion, he supports me 100 percent.”