Athlete Profile: Ashton Dotson

Ashton Dotson is a Berkeley High School senior known for his skills on the football field. He started playing when he was eight years old under the guidance of his late uncle, a football coach.  “He was always making me practice, talking about football, … it felt like a family game,” Dotson said about his uncle. “When I think of my uncle, I really think of being motivated and wanting to be the best version of myself because I know that’s what he would have wanted for me,”  Dotson said. The dedication his uncle instilled in him paid off, and Dotson made the BHS varsity team his freshman year. He plays both receiver and cornerback. Dotson wears the number eight on the field and prepares for games with a combination of weight training and running. He also spends a lot of time learning plays, “There’s a lot of studying involved that many don’t realize unless they play (football),” Dotson said. Dotson’s favorite part about playing football is mastering new skills and the relationships he has made through the sport. On the other hand, he finds that he struggles most with the emotional aspect. Dotson said, “When you have a bad play it can affect you for the rest of the game.” After he concludes his last season at BHS, Dotson hopes to play football in college, become an entrepreneur, and, in his own words, “Keep pulling.”