Ask around DHS about sophomore Devan Anzarut and you’ll be met with nearly identical reactions: a smile, often followed by a small laugh of some sort, and some interpretation of, “Yeah, I love that kid.” With his easy smile and friendly demeanor, Anzarut has made friends from just about every facet of DHS, not the least of which is the varsity football team.

“I thought it wasn’t as bad of a transition [from freshman to varsity] since last year I was able to play in the Midland/Dow [varsity] game, but I thought it was a lot of fun getting to know the older guys and becoming friends with them,” Anzarut said. “[I’ve enjoyed] the technicality of the sport and becoming better as a player.”

Anzarut has even been christened by his teammates with a rather unique nickname.

“It was a freezing cold practice last year before the playoffs, and so I decided to wear jeans to practice to stay warm,” Anzarut said. “I sort of got the nickname ‘Jeans’ because [my teammates] thought I was crazy for wearing jeans to practice. But, by the way, I was the only kid who stayed warm.”

While sports like football, wrestling, and dirt biking are important parts of his life, Anzarut has another major interest that isn’t often paired with the jock stereotype.

“It was fifth grade, and I just thought [the flute] was a cool instrument,” Anzarut said. “It’s sort of Indian-ish…it’s intricate.”

Anzarut has continued to pursue his interest in the flute as a member of the DHS band, and while Anzarut can’t march during games, he still finds a way to participate.

“Sometimes during the games, when the band is playing songs, I’ll do the little dance moves and [the football team] thinks it’s hilarious,” Anzarut said.

Through his participation in so many activities, Anzarut has developed a leader’s mentality that, paired with his instinctive helpfulness and kindness, he believes will serve him well in his future career.

“I’m thinking of going into something along the lines of something in the military or physical trainer; hands-on work with rehabilitating or serving, something like that,” Anzarut said. “I always loved, in sports, being sort of like a role model [by] helping other kids with techniques and form and, if they’re feeling injured, trying to help them out.”

To see Anzarut, #58, and the DHS varsity football team play, check their schedule for the remainder of the season: �HYPERLINK “http://dowathletics.com/football/varsity/schedule”http://dowathletics.com/football/varsity/schedule

Or check out one of the DHS band’s performances to catch him in the flute section at https://www.midlandps.org/sites/dhs/SiteAssets/2013_2014_band_schedule.pdf