What is senior David Gough to the Nansemond-Suffolk Academy football team?

In a 56-34 homecoming night win against visiting Greenbrier Christian Academy on Oct. 17, he was a lot of things, which led to his becoming the Duke Automotive-Suffolk News-Herald Player of the Week.

He was a fullback that carried the ball 22 times for 131 yards and four touchdowns and led the team with two catches for 21 yards.

He was a single wing tailback — which some might call a quarterback — when he ran for three two-point conversions and completed a three-yard pass to junior tight end Eric Teumer for another.

He was a defensive tackle, a defensive end and a linebacker at different times on defense and also served as a punter, kicker and kick returner on special teams.

“I was happy with my performance,” he said. “I definitely got a lot of playing time as you can tell from those stats.”

It was his final homecoming game, and he said, “I was glad that I made the most of it.”

It has not been quite the senior year most anticipated for Gough. Injuries have ravaged the Saints on both sides of the ball. Gough himself has fought through an ankle injury.

“I haven’t had the same amount of yards or anything that I’ve had the last two years, but we’ve still been successful,” he said.

Johnston said Gough’s versatility, required because of all the injuries, has simply affirmed the reasons he appreciates him.

“Literally, from eighth grade — first time I saw him on film — I knew what kind of athlete we had,” Johnston said.

The story of countless football players across the nation is one that ultimately ends with the final snap of their senior year in high school. It becomes a story about a special time in their life, never to be repeated, in which they strove together with classmates who became like brothers in the joint endeavor of achieving success on the gridiron.

This will be the story of David Gough.

Johnston noted Gough had previously expressed some interest in playing college football, researching the possibility of doing so in the Ivy League with a visit to Harvard University.

“He is certainly very capable of playing Division I football,” Johnston said.

The Harvard visit alludes to Gough’s status as an excellent student, and as the end of his high school tenure has drawn closer, he has become even more focused on academics.

Johnston said Gough was thinking, “I’m not sure if college football is really what I want to do.”

Gough shared his thoughts this past week about playing college ball.

“I don’t believe that’s going to happen,” he said. “I’ve kind of got my sights set on going to the University of Kansas, and I’m looking forward to being part of the business school there.”

He is considering majoring in business management or international business.

“I applaud him for a very mature and realistic perspective on where sports are supposed to be in your life,” Johnston said. “I think he’s got things in the proper order — it’s academics first. I admire him for it.”