Junior David Dickson didn’t panic when he felt his shoulder pop out of its socket. Even as he walked off the field, leaving the team without their starting running back, he never lost faith in the team’s chances.
He knew that his brother, sophomore Donnell Dickson, would fulfill the team’s “next man up” motto.
David watched confidently from the sideline as his brother caught the game-sealing touchdown to give the Lions a 21-14 win against Episcopal School of Dallas.
“There was a mixture of emotions,” David said. “I was sad. I was upset. But I was happy knowing that Donnell could handle the business.”
Though the Dickson brothers share the running back room, their bond extends far beyond the field. After 15 years of brotherhood, their passion for athletics and their family’s unwavering support have fueled the Dickson children’s success.
However, football wasn’t always their sport of choice. For David, soccer was his first passion, rooted in his visits to Ghana and his family’s heritage.
“My parents have an African background coming from Ghana, and it is all soccer out there,” David said. “That’s what they do. That’s what they love. So I always grew up loving soccer.”
But living in America, David and Donnell gravitated towards other sports like basketball, lacrosse, track and especially football. While these sports shape much of their daily lives, the foundation of the Dicksons’ success comes from the environment at home.
Their mother, Akua, is a constant source of kindness and support. She is David’s go-to person for comfort and guidance, always supporting her children, regardless of what their interests are. Akua preaches to her kids the importance of positive words and a positive attitude, which is something that David embodies as a captain and leader.
“Her main motto is to be positive with your words because words have meaning,” David said. “So that’s always something we try to stick with in whatever we do.”
For David, their father, Douglas, is his role model. Douglas seeks connection with everyone around him, constantly laughing and even trying to pick up his kids’ slang.
“He knows the saying ‘catching strays.’ He loves using that,” David said. “We teach him about all the things we say today… and my dad finds them funny and tries to get involved with them, but doesn’t overuse them like other parents.”
As a spinal surgeon at UT Southwestern, Douglas often spends long nights at the hospital. Despite this, he always finds a way to be there for his kids.
“My dad makes extreme sacrifices, which is something I want to do for my kids,” David said. “Whether I have a game in the morning or at night, he always adjusts his work schedule so that he can be there.”
David can’t remember a time when his dad didn’t show up, whether that’s waking up at 2 a.m. to perform surgery or staying up until 4 a.m. to watch David’s game livestreamed from Ghana. The Dickson children each take different parts of their parents’ personalities.
“My mom is very sociable and outgoing- that’s where I get my outgoing personality from,” David said. “My dad is a lot more reserved, like Donnell.”
Their youngest brother, Douglas Jr., is several years younger than both David and Donnell, but still holds a firm connection with both of his brothers.
“What makes Douglas (Jr.) so great is that he is a mix of me, Donnell, my mother and my father,” David said. “All of the qualities we have, Douglas takes away the best parts of them.”
Throughout their lives, David and Donnell have been competitive with each other, fostering brotherly love while also encouraging each other to improve.
“Me and David are very competitive at home whether we are playing College Football 26 or playing football in our front yard,” Donnell said. “When we are squatting or deadlifting together we are always eager to get to the next weight and rep it faster than the other.”
Donnell sees David as someone who he can confide in but also look up to as an athlete and person.
“David has taught me a lot when it comes to being a good running back,” Donnell said. “He has always been my main source of knowledge.”
Being the oldest brother carries responsibilities that David takes seriously. The magnitude of this responsibility has been eased knowing his dad once stood in the same position.
“I would like to think that my brothers look up to me, that’s what my parents tell me,” David said. “I’ve noticed that the decisions I make affect them.”
The Dickson family is consistently there for each other, moving collectively as a family unit. They do not only keep each other afloat, but raise each other up. Even when they lived in Fort Worth, they established strong relationships and created lasting memories.
“My kindergarten year was the year that Douglas was born, and I brought him to school for show and tell,” David said. “It was a really sweet moment.”
When their father got a job offer from UT Southwestern, the family had to decide whether to move to Dallas and or stay in their quieter home of Fort Worth. No matter what the final decision would be, the family knew they had to be all in.
“We applied, but if both Donnell and I didn’t get in, we would’ve stayed at Fort Worth Country Day,” David said. “Thank God we both got in.”
Although leaving the people David grew up with hurt, he quickly learned that new opportunities bring greater things. Arriving at the St. Mark’s campus in 2019, the brothers felt anxious about finding a new community, but quickly made friends through common interests, especially sports.
“Henry McGill and Anderson Lee: those were some of my first friends at St. Mark’s. It was all about finding people who liked the same things I did,” David said. “Playing sports and being on teams opened up a lot for me, and that’s why teams are so special.”
As David created more and more memories through sports, he realized that sports weren’t just a passion but a place where he felt most alive, surrounded with the people he loves most.
When David started playing tackle football in seventh grade, he wasn’t nearly the player he is today. Having never played tackle football before, he had to learn the rules and play-by-play protocol, so he put his head down and dove into his passion.
“William Elliot (former student) had to teach me how to play running back. He was definitely a big inspiration for me,” David said. “Stuff like ball security with Coach Flaherty… all these things you do, eventually you get used to it.”
With each passing year, David’s passion for football kept growing, motivating him to constantly pursue improvement, even during the offseason. For David, the work is not a chore, but a way to continue his love for the game.
“Me, Blaize, and others would go out to St. Mark’s in the summer,” David said. “Even in eighth grade, the high schoolers would be outside practicing while Blaize, Wyatt, and I would throw, too.”
Those workouts not only strengthened David’s relationships but shaped him into a leader. By the end of his sophomore year, he became a team captain, giving him the chance to mentor Donnell as his younger brother stepped into a bigger role.
That mentorship — the football games in their front yard, their competition in the weight room — was put to the test in their final game of the season against ESD.
“When I got into the ESD game I thought I would go in for one play and then David would come back in,” Donnell said. “But after a full drive I went to the sidelines and he had his pads off, and it hit me that he’s not coming back.”
Memories of failure rushed through Donnell’s mind as he continued to play and the team’s lead dwindled. But, on the final drive with good field position, Donnell’s moment came.
“The play I had been waiting for the whole game: a screen pass. The thoughts of ‘Do this for David,’ ‘win this game for St. Mark’s’ and ‘don’t mess up’ cycled through,” Donnell said. “I caught the ball and, with some great blocking, made it to the endzone untouched.”
After the game, David was the first person to congratulate Donnell on his accomplishments, concluding the brothers’ season on a high note.
“David told me that he was proud of me,” Donnell said. “That will be a moment that will always stick with me.”