Dylan McFarlain is a class of 2021 athlete out of Sulphur High School in Sulphur, Louisiana. He is 5’11” and weighs 210 pounds. He is a tough and physical runner who has excellent vision. He is also a solid pass blocker. McFarlain is a 3 year varsity starter. He received the Kyle Simons Captains Award his junior year along with the Scholar Athlete Award. He was on the Baseball team his junior and sophomore year at Sulphur, and is also on the Track & Field team. McFarlain also participates in a recreation basketball team. With an ACT score of 24 and a 3.9 GPA, he has been an honor student all years of his high school career. He has also been a member of the Student Council, Beta Club, and the National Honors Society.
CHECK OUT McFARLAIN’S HIGHLIGHTS HERE
How would you describe the season so far for Sulphur?
Our season has been filled with enough struggle this season. We’ve had 2 hurricanes that delayed our season, Laura and Delta, COVID, an almost entirely new coaching staff and playbook, and many hard decisions that our coaching staff faced that dealt with the fate of our season. At one point we were prepared to go play all of our home games at Vidor’s stadium in Texas, which for Sulphur would be extremely hard because of just the number of fans we always have at our home games. Luckily, we did get to play in our stadium and we did adapt to all the COVID rules and regulations. It was hard for everyone to avoid the virus and we did eventually get our program shut down due to exposure to the virus which ended our play off chances as it canceled our last game against Evangel. We were ranked 32nd in the state. Nonetheless, all the hardship we went through helped us to adapt to any situation and showed our team how strong we really are and the tradition that is about to start at Sulphur High.
Did you have any specific goals for this season? If so, how is that coming along?
This year with all that has happened my one goal really was just to be able to play. We had so many instances told to us that we wouldn’t be able to have a season and that mine and my friends senior years have been ruined by all that has happened so my goal and many of the others was just to start a new legacy at Sulphur for the future classes and to show that we can overcome anything that life threw at us. I think this year that goal was accomplished and many more were accomplished as well. In the meantime, I received 2 offers this year to play college football and many lessons learned not only to do with football but in life.
How did you even get into football? Is there anything specific that motivated you to keep playing?
I’ve played football almost my entire life. I’ve grown up watching the Saints and LSU. Living in Sulphur, we had Mcneese State right across the bridge and were able to watch D-1 college football almost every chance we got. I had a coach, Steven Bono, who really instilled the love for football into me from a young age when i played on his team when i was about 9 years old on a team called the Lil Tigers. He showed me to not play football with fear and he pushed us harder than most of us thought we ever could and it worked because we went undefeated and we’re never scored on that season. In my family, we’re taught to never quit and to be pushed hard in everything we did. That mind set and competitive nature really helped me out in football.
What has football taught you about yourself or life?
Football has taught me so many things like leadership, grit, mental and physical toughness, respect, team work, the list goes on to all the lessons I’ve learned from football. I would encourage anyone to try it out even if you never step on the field the life lessons you learn will take you further in life than almost anything you learn anywhere else.
What’s your favorite thing about your position?
My whole life I’ve played on both sides of the ball and that started in high school and I played running back and linebacker for Sulphur. I’ve gotten to start on both sides my sophomore, junior, and senior year and got a little bit of varsity time my freshman year. I think the best part of running back is when I get to go through people. I could run through just about anyone that stood in my way or it would take many people to take me down. I felt very prideful in that. For linebackers, it’s the same way. Whenever you get to make that key tackle in a game and get to hear your name over the loudspeaker and your teammates come and dap you up and cheer around you, there’s no feeling quite like it.
What would you say are your main strengths on the field?
On the field I’d say my best strength on the field is just my size and actual strength. I will always make you work to take me down and I will always try and get those extra yards every chance I get. Alsom my leadership abilities and ability to produce in those crunch time moments whether it be the yard or so to get the first or a goal line stand, or to get that tackle so that they couldn’t march up field.I’ve been told I have natural leadership skills in many things that I do. My willingness to do whatever it takes to win or to better the team or group that I’m in whatever the task is. My faith in God gives me a lot of strength in everything I do. I always know that he is with me and gives me the strength to always be better and do better by him.
How would your coaches and teammates describe you?
I think that my coaches and teammates can describe me as the type of guy who is willing to do whatever it takes to win the game or to help the team in whatever way i can. I feel that is one of the main reasons I played on both sides of the ball because I’m willing to play or be wherever I’m needed on the field.
What’s your favorite thing about playing football in Louisiana?
I love the atmosphere that is created on a Friday night. At whatever level you play at, you can’t deny the feeling of being on the field and hearing the loud and crazy loyal fans in the stand cheering for you and your team. I’ve played from peewee to high school football in Louisiana, and been to plenty of LSU and Mcneese football games. I can say there is no better feeling.
Three words to describe yourself?
Leader, unselfish, and committed.
What hobbies do you have outside of sports?
Like many people in Southwest Louisiana, I love to be outdoors. The feeling of being on the field is rivaled by the feeling of being in a blind or on a boat in the morning or all day. I love to hang out with my friends and also to just chill at the house and watch some Netflix or football in my down time.
Are there any college or NFL athletes that you look up to or try to model your play style after?
I’d say that I try my best to model my running back game after Derrick Henry because he is a big dude. He’s very hard to tackle and bring down and I see myself as that. Granted I’m not to scale of his size, I feel I have that same mentality that it’s going to take a lot to bring me down. On the line backer side of the ball my favorite linebacker now is Demario Davis, he’s just now starting to emerge as an elite linebacker in the NFL and plays with picture perfect technique and skill and is afraid of no one that comes in-front of him.
What is one thing could you not go a day without?
I could never go a day without my faith. Through many hardships I’ve found trust and strength in God and I believe that everyday is a gift from him and a chance for us to live for him.
