Sermon on Mount Vernon: The Story Behind Dawson Witherspoon
Dawson Witherspoon has blossomed into one of TXHSFB's leading rushers two year's after his dad's death, uniting the Mount Vernon community with each touchdown.
Dawson Witherspoon’s bedroom isn’t decorated with the rock band and star athlete posters that most high school seniors prefer. Then again, most high school seniors haven’t rushed for 1,343 yards and 17 touchdowns in six games.
Two flags hang on either side of the bed. The one on the left says, “Jesus is King.” The one on the right gives the definition of discipline. Jacque Bowers, who just poked her head in the room, reads it aloud.
“The practice of doing what needs to be done, even if you do not want to do it,” Bowers recites. “Following one’s conduct and consciously taking control of your own personal choices, decisions, actions and behavior.”
Bowers has known Witherspoon since he and her son, Ryder, began elementary school flag football together. Dawson’s father, David, coached the team and was buddies with Ryder’s father, Bryan. Jacque saw glimpses back then that Dawson was mature for his age. For starters, he played two grades up because he was bigger than most kids. His manners around adults were excellent. But he was also quieter, like more thoughts were swirling through his head than he was ready to let you in on.
“Who is that?” Jacque asked. “Somebody in his family I don’t know?”
“No, I think that’s just a random fan,” Bryan said.
The Mount Vernon contingent is getting behind a kid who lost so many in his corner.
Dawson’s father, David Witherspoon, passed away from a sudden heart attack on December 30, 2023. He left behind a son whose quiet demeanor forced him to ruminate on questions no 16-year-old should have to ask.
“I was so upset, like, ‘Why me? Why this? Why now?’” Dawson said. “And I just leaned toward the Bible, and it helped me through a lot of situations.”
Because in those moments when the loss of life threatened to overwhelm his own, Dawson sat in his bedroom staring up at the two flags - “Jesus is King” and “Discipline” - which held the answers to all his questions.
“His life gave him every opportunity to go the wrong way, and he chose to go the right way and make the best out of a bad situation,” Mount Vernon assistant coach Tom Kailey said.
Dawson loves football because his father loved it as well. David introduced him at the age of four and was his first coach, the one who saw his future as a running back.
“I was a quarterback for a bit, and then they realized I couldn’t throw,” Dawson said.
When his parents divorced and Dawson moved 15 minutes away from Mount Pleasant to Mount Vernon at 12, football gave David opportunities to connect with his son. He never missed a game or a pregame pump-up text. In fact, David rarely missed a practice, even when Dawson got to high school.
Dawson made the varsity squad as a freshman and served as the primary backup to Makenzie McGill II, now at North Texas. Heading into his sophomore year, the 2023 season, Dawson and his teammates were acutely aware that fans thought they’d suffer a down year. McGill was off to college, and three sophomores were slated to start on the offensive line. The young crew used that doubt as motivation for a breakout campaign. Dawson rushed for 1,629 yards and 25 touchdowns. Mount Vernon made it to the second round of the playoffs, falling to eventual state champion Malakoff.
Looking back, Dawson is thankful for that season not for the individual success, but because it was the last one his father saw from the stands. David sees this senior year run, too. He just has a different seat.
“I just know he was a very proud dad,” Dawson said. “I loved how I balled out, and he was able to see it. I know he’s still watching me.”
After David’s death, Dawson floated between friends' houses, estranged from his mother, who lived with a boyfriend in the Dallas area. That’s when the Bowers family arranged for him to live with them for his junior year. But while they got the house ready, Dawson moved in with the Kailey family for the summer.
Tom Kailey was first introduced to Dawson on the football team. He was the assistant secondary coach, but he still saw how mature and polite the young running back was. When Dawson first started dating his daughter, Avery, he was terrified to tell Coach. But Tom wasn’t about to give Dawson a hard time. Frankly, he was relieved Avery had found such a good person to be around.
That’s why the family didn’t think twice about letting Dawson live with them. It didn’t just feel like the right thing to do; it felt like the obvious thing to do. Plus, it gave Tom a chance to show off his secret talent - he can grill a mean steak. But the camaraderie around the table nourished Dawson more than the food.
“Family meals were great,” Dawson said. “I just love eating there. It was so good. The steak, all the salads, it was delicious, man.”
Tom’s favorite part of having Dawson stay over was having a front-row seat to see how respectfully he treated Avery.
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