Duncanville QB Keelon Russell Wins Gatorade National Football Player of the Year Honors
Posted on 12/11/2024
Duncanville, TX – December 11, 2024 – In its 40th year of honoring the nation's most elite high school athletes for excellence on the field of play, in the classroom and in their communities, Gatorade today announced Keelon Russell of Duncanville High School in Duncanville, Texas is the 2024-25 Gatorade National Football Player of the Year. Russell joins an all-star group of former Gatorade National Football Players of the Year who have combined for more than six NFL MVPs awards, 31 Pro Bowl appearances, six NFL first round draft picks and two became Hall of Famers. Russell was selected from more than one million other student-athletes who play high school football nationwide.
Just as he was finishing up football practice on Tuesday afternoon, Dallas Cowboys cornerback and Alabama football alum Trevon Diggs surprised Crimson Tide commit Russell with the trophy surrounded by his family, coaches and teammates. Following the surprise, Russell got a taste of the pro athlete experience with a styling session, photoshoot and media interviews.
More than a trophy, Gatorade Player of the Year has a 40-year legacy recognizing and celebrating the next generation unlike anyone else, from connecting one-on-one with their favorite pros to first access to Gatorade Drops and participation in community initiatives. From CEOs and coaches to elite professional athletes, Gatorade Player of the Year Winners showcase the power of sport, touting an impressive group of football alumni that includes Emmitt Smith (1986-87, Escambia High School, Fl.), Peyton Manning (1993-94, Isidore Newman School, La.) and DJ Lagway (2023-24, Willis High School, Texas).
“The Gatorade Player of the Year Program has a 40-year history of recognizing young athletes on their journey to greatness,” said Gatorade Chief Brand Officer Anuj Bhasin. “Russell’s accomplishments have earned him a spot on the trophy alongside so many iconic athletes, and we can’t wait to see the legacy he will leave behind.”
Gatorade Players of the Year are not only the best of the best in their respective sports, but they’re also role models and leaders off the field. Russell is a member of Duncanville’s National Honor Society and has volunteered locally with the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization, distributing turkeys to the Duncanville community as part of a joint effort with the Dallas Cowboys. Russell has also maintained a 3.4 GPA in the classroom and plans to enroll at the University of Alabama next fall, where he will play football.
“Russell is an elite playmaker for the quarterback position who feathers the line between risk and reward like few others,” said Andrew Ivins, 247Sports Director of Scouting. “He’s extremely accurate at all three levels [of the passing game] and there are few throws that he can’t make. He has had a star-studded supporting cast around him, but he has done more than just drive the bus. Multiple times throughout the season, he rose to the occasion and essentially turned into a superhero.”
As part of Gatorade’s commitment to breaking down barriers in sport, every Player of the Year also receives a grant to donate to a social impact partner. To date, the Gatorade Player of the Year program has provided more than $5.6 million in grants to winners across more than 2,000 organizations.
To learn more about the Gatorade Player of the Year program, check out past winners or to nominate student-athletes, visit playeroftheyear.gatorade.com.
About The Gatorade Portfolio
The Gatorade Portfolio, a division of PepsiCo (NASDAQ: PEP), is a connected performance and wellness ecosystem built to fuel all athletes and exercisers. Bringing together Gatorade, Propel, Evolve and Muscle Milk, the Gatorade Portfolio is the most complete offering in the category today, with a broad range of personalized solutions at every stage of the athlete journey. This integrated system of brands is built on Gatorade's 59-year history of studying athletes and is fueling the future of athletic performance and wellness by delivering solutions across hydration, protein, energy and all-day nutrition to fuel consumers, no matter how or why they sweat. For more information and a full list of product offerings, please visit www.gatorade.com.
About PepsiCo
PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers more than one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. PepsiCo generated more than $91 billion in net revenue in 2023, driven by a complementary beverage and convenient foods portfolio that includes Lay’s, Doritos, Cheetos, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Mountain Dew, Quaker, and SodaStream. PepsiCo’s product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including many iconic brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales.
Guiding PepsiCo is our vision to Be the Global Leader in Beverages and Convenient Foods by Winning with pep+ (PepsiCo Positive). pep+ is our strategic end-to-end transformation that puts sustainability and human capital at the center of how we will create value and growth by operating within planetary boundaries and inspiring positive change for planet and people. For more information, visit www.pepsico.com.
About Duncanville ISD
Duncanville Independent School District has more than 11,900 students and is home to one of the largest high schools in the state of Texas, Duncanville High School. This 18-campus school district has a diverse student body with 55% Hispanic, 40% African American, and 2% White. Affectionately known as the City of Champions, Duncanville is in the southwest region of Dallas County along Interstate 20 and Highway 67. The district is one of the largest employers in the area, employing approximately 1,800, including almost 800 classroom teachers.