DURANT, Iowa — On a normal Friday night, Durant's senior runningback Nolan DeLong wears the number 10 on the football field. However, in the Wildcats' game against Northeast, he also became number 36; the 36th player in IHSAA history to rush for 5,000 yards in his career.
"He's the type of athlete I probably won't ever see again, as a coach. And he's once in a lifetime like you said, plus, he's a leader.," said Durant's head football coach, Joel Diederichs. "You're talking about in the weight room sessions for us on the field. He's a leader all the way through."
DeLong surpassed 5,000 yards on an 83-yard touchdown. He said that, for him, it's never been about the yards or the milestones, but instead about his team.
"I was just coming in here to have some fun, play with the guys I love," DeLong said. "I mean, the guys out here, I treat his family. These are kids I hold really close to my heart. Is it awesome? Yeah, sure, but it's not the most important part to me."
Durant is 3-0 on the season after beating Northeast 23-22, and the game-winning touchdown and two-point conversion were both scored by DeLong.
"It's not as much about the legacy here but I like being able to put this place on the map, show people how amazing our school is," DeLong said. "Just for me to be able to put this school on the map would be awesome and that's one of the reasons why I'm so motivated in doing what I do."
Durant will play Wilton on Friday, Sept. 16th at 7 p.m.
More From News 8
Watch more news, weather and sports on News 8's YouTube channel