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Hallsville 8th-grader wins national PP&K title


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By Jon Dustin Brooks, News Messenger

 

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

 

Ronnie Gideon has been punting, passing and kicking since he was 8 years old.

 

Last weekend, Gideon's football skills earned him a trip to an NFL playoff game, and a shot at his own spot in the national limelight.

 

Gideon, 14, from Hallsville, captured the NFL's Punt Pass & Kick national title for the boys' 14-and-15 year old division during halftime of the Carolina Panthers' NFC divisional loss to the Arizona Cardinals last Saturday.

 

He won the event with a final total of 374 feet, 11 inches — six inches more than runner-up Collin Hartman of Indianapolis — in his first-ever trip to the national competition.

 

"It was great; it was such a great feeling," said Gideon, who has advanced to the statewide competition every year in Dallas. "I thought it would be cool (to win representing the Cowboys) since this is the last year for the old Texas Stadium."

 

Gideon said he now plans to defend his title next year — in what will be his final year of eligibility for the competition — during the first year of Dallas' new stadium, which is set to open later this year.

 

"It will be hard," Gideon said of trying to win back-to-back championships. "You can never say it's easy because you never know who's going to be there. You can't slack off and all that."

 

Gideon, who said his favorite of the three is passing, said it was his concentration that helped him to his victory.

 

"I was kind of nervous," he said. "I tried to concentrate real hard and just tried to stay accurate."

 

Gideon had the highest punt total (105-3) of the four competitors and tied for the highest pass total with a throw of 159-6. His kick amount (110-5) ranked third of the group.

 

But the trip to Carolina wasn't all business, either.

 

While there, Gideon and his mom and dad stayed at the same hotel as Arizona's players, which made for quite a surprise one night when he was riding the elevator.

 

"We stayed at the same hotel and I met (Cardinals' quarterback) Kurt Warner in the elevator," Gideon said. "He's not as big as he seems on TV."

 

Gideon, who plays football, baseball and basketball for Hallsville's eighth-grade team, also made some friends on his trip east.

 

"Probably meeting all the people that I went against and making new friends," Gideon said were his favorite parts of the trip.

 

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Wow, someone from Hallsville or district 13-4a... is this the Stud at QB ive been hearing about? He resembles a Shane Fry kind of posture and play but has tools to be Hallsvilles best. This is the kind of kid you want on your team, glad to see the last Gideon ( for a few years i beleive) make a stand out!

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Wow, someone from Hallsville or district 13-4a... is this the Stud at QB ive been hearing about? He resembles a Shane Fry kind of posture and play but has tools to be Hallsvilles best. This is the kind of kid you want on your team, glad to see the last Gideon ( for a few years i beleive) make a stand out!

 

 

He is tall and rangy like Fry but does not have the moves (he doesn't need them, he just runs over everyone). He also plays middle linebacker. Not if, but when he fills out, he will probably be too big to play QB. His dad and cousins were big lineman. Nonetheless, wherever he plays he will be a beast. He is a great kid as well.

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