Odom taking his talents to Kansas

FHS grad inks gridiron deal at Hutchinson

Da'Shun Odom was a key piece of the 2018 Flomaton High School football team that captured the school's first state championship. The former Hurricane is about to become a Blue Dragon after signing to continue football at Hutchinson Community College in Hutchinson, Kan.

Odom will be leaving Friday to begin spring classes at Hutchinson and will be able to participate in spring training.

A separated shoulder during the playoffs of the 2018 championship run forced Odom to sit out a year, even though he played in the title game a week after the injury. Odom said his first love was basketball, but he realized at 6 feet, 1 inch tall, it wasn't his future.

"I sat out a year to rehab my shoulder," he said.

He said he and Hutchinson connected through Flomaton head coach Doug Vickery.

"Coach V told me about them," Odom said. "They came by the school and Coach V had me come by there and now I'm heading to Kansas."

"I just love football, it's a great opportunity and I look at it as the next step," Odom said, noting he signed as a safety for the Blue Dragons.

Odom said his hopes are to move from the community college ranks to the next level.

He's joining a program that has sent 154 football players to Power 5 conferences since 1994 and had two in the NFL's 2016 rookie class.

Hutchinson finished the 2019 season with a 10-2 record and finished third in the National Junior College Athletic Association's rankings. The Blue Dragons held the No. 1 ranking for five weeks, but ended up losing two games by a combined three points.

"It's a great opportunity and I appreciate Coach V for opening the door for me," Odom said.

Coach Vickery said he has relationships with several coaches in Kansas and especially at Hutchinson. Jarrod Sanders, a 2013 graduate of Flomaton High School, played at Hutchinson and later signed with Texas A&M Kingsville.

"The coach had talked to me last year about Da'Shun, but it boiled down to getting his shoulder healthy," Vickery said. "It's a great opportunity for him. He's one of the best players to play with me here. He's a great person and has a great work ethic. I have no doubt that in a few years we'll be seeing him playing with a Power 5 school."

Vickery said Odom is also in the right place to move to the next level.

"They seem to put a lot of defensive backs into the big Division I schools," Vickery said. "Those coaches are looking for people who can come in and play immediately and they often look to the junior colleges for those players. Hutchinson has filled a lot of spots for the bigger schools."

"I'm proud for him," Vickery said of Odom. "I'm excited. I hope he's packed some warm clothes before he heads out."

 
 
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