Former VHS football player dreams of owning a training facility after earning a master’s degree

Former Vicksburg High School running back Darius Youngblood has successfully finished his master’s degree and now dreams of opening his own fitness training facility.

Youngblood played football at the Vicksburg YMCA starting in the third grade until the seventh grade when he entered Vicksburg Junior High School and began playing for the Gators. In junior high, he was known for his strength and being able to get away from defenders who were much bigger than him.

Youngblood was also a part of the 15-2 Little Six Conference Championship basketball team in the 2007-2008 school year.

In 2008, Youngblood was a starter on the ninth grade football team at Vicksburg High School, but he chose to sit out his sophomore year and play basketball instead.

In 2010, he rejoined the football team playing backup to Kawayne Gaston under head coach Alonzo Stevens. That season, Youngblood earned plenty of playing time, and started in a couple of games to help lead the Gators.

He got his chance to be the starting running back in his 2011 senior season, and he became the team’s lead rusher. He finished the season with 1,067 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns.

“I had a pretty productive year during my senior season, but I always think I could’ve done better,” Youngblood said.

He went on to play for Hinds Community College in 2012 where he was redshirted in his freshman year. Youngblood got cut from Hinds in the next season, and he transferred to Mississippi College where he played football for the next three years.

”I enjoyed playing college football, but I am done with it,” Youngblood said jokingly.

He received his bachelor’s degree in sports management in December 2016 from Mississippi College. He took a year after gaining his degree to work as a fitness trainer at Baptist Healthplex in Clinton, Mississippi.

”My goal as a trainer is to get people their goals,” Youngblood said. “I work with a mixture of clients. Sometimes I have 90-year-olds and sometimes I have 17-year-old clients.”

While working as a trainer, Youngblood went back to Mississippi College and earned his master’s degree in athletic administration in December 2019.

Now that he has achieved his educational goals, Youngblood plans to continue as a trainer and one day open up his own facility where he can help others continue to reach their goals.

“Put much effort in the classroom and take your talents as far as the will go,” Youngblood advises young athletes.

He credits God and his family who kept him motivated for his success in life.