Sept. 15, 2004

By Adam Zundell
Maryland Media Relations Staff

It's easy to motivate an underdog. Every morning when you wake up early to do the extra work, you hear the voices of the doubters throughout the years. You feel the weight of all of the people that have kept you down throughout the years every time you got knocked down.

But what about motivating someone who has tasted success; someone who has been lauded throughout their career? What keeps driving them to stay on top? We all saw Hoosiers, but we never see coach Norman Dale trying to get his team in the weight room the summer after winning the state title.

No one has ever doubted what Domonique Foxworth could do on the football field - he's never given them any reason to - but whatever happened yesterday means nothing to him. He's a finely tuned Mercedes equipped with everything but a rearview mirror.

"Every year, every game, you start at zero," Foxworth says. "Every time you go out there you have to prove yourself. You can't carry over statistics; you can't carry over wins from last year. Every game I start with no interceptions and no tackles - it's starting from scratch."

A record-setting cornerback and tailback at Western Tech High in Baltimore, Foxworth met the high expectations that awaited him at Maryland, playing regularly as a freshman and becoming a starter ever since. Despite that success, Foxworth has maintained a sense of humility that forces players to recognize that they must keep racing for a finish line that constantly keeps moving away from them. Foxworth knows that his physical skills are on par with others, so he must do the work beyond the field to keep him ahead.

"Everyone's talented and everyone's a blue chip recruit, so I get in and watch a lot of film," Foxworth says. "I realized that I needed to because I knew I wanted to be the best and in high school my ability was enough, but when I got here I realized that I needed to find something else to make me better. A lot of the plays I make are from anticipating and knowing what the offense is going to do in certain situations and downs. My parents taught me that I should do something towards my goal every day, and my goal is to be the best, and I'll do anything to accomplish that no matter how big or how small."

For most, lining up one-on-one across from receivers that could double as Olympic sprinters would cause a type of anxiety that would force most to seek a sport like badminton. Because of his cerebral approach, however, Foxworth has no time to get caught up in the magnitude of the situation. "I don't get caught up in the moment because of the routine that I have and all of the things going through my mind," he says. "I try to see the big picture. I have the coverage we called in the back of my mind and then I compare it to the formation that they are in. So, right off the bat I can narrow it down to a few plays. Then I look at the receiver and look at how far he is away from the rest of the offense and narrow it down again. Then hopefully, if I watched film properly, I have a pretty good idea of what the receiver is going to do."

More often than not, Foxworth has done things properly and has the right idea - both on and off the field. An honors student who is also involved in the community as a volunteer, his parents instilled in him the values necessary to maximize his full potential, not just his football potential. Even for someone who seemingly conquers every challenge, it isn't always easy. His parents are still there to provide him strength and focus through the rough times.

"When I graduated from high school, my parents bought me a little box that says, `To our first round draft pick - Mom and Dad,'" he says. "I put my goals, the letters my dad sends me and the quotes he sends me in there. Whenever I hit a rocky time or when I'm not playing as well as I want, I can look at that box and it reminds me of my parents and it reminds me of the confidence I should have in myself and to re-focus."

It's no wonder that Foxworth has avoided being the underdog throughout his career since he has all of the physical, mental and emotional tools to be a successful football player. Even though people are naturally attracted to the underdog, Domonique Foxworth is a Goliath you don't mind rooting for.