VIDALIA &8212; Football is a game of size and strength, but most coaches will attest to the fact that it is not so much the physical size or strength that allows players to succeed as it is the heart and determination that wills a player to achieve as is the case with Vidalia&8217;s Demack Bates.

At 5 feet, 7 inches tall and weighing 170 pounds, the diminutive Bates does not have the size most coaches envision a workhorse tailback having, but what Bates lacks in size, he makes up for in heart and football smarts.

Bates&8217; value to the team is something that cannot be overstated. Although he seems undersized to handle the load of 30-40 carries a game, Bates has shouldered the workload without a whimper.

&8220;If he weighed 200 pounds, (Bates) could name his college,&8221; Vidalia coach Dee Faircloth said. &8220;I&8217;ve had some great backs come through here in my 38 years &8212; guys who were player of the year, and went on to play college. Demack ranks right up there as an elite back. If he had the offensive line some of those guys had, there&8217;s no telling what kind of numbers he would have put up.&8221;

Bates&8217; highlight film is full of ankle-breaking runs that call up images of Barry Sanders or Reggie Bush, but the ones that stand out to his coaches and teammates are the 10 and 15-yard runs, where he breaks a handful of tackles and drags defenders for the last three to four yards.

&8220;A lot of people draw the comparisons to Barry Sanders or Reggie Bush, but I like to think I have my own running style,&8221; Bates said. &8220;I&8217;m more of a finesse and cutback runner. I&8217;m not as fast as those guys.&8221;

Bates said he developed his running style early on, as his father always stressed to him the importance of finishing off a run.

Bates has been a tailback for as long as he can remember. His father started him at the position when he was just 8 years old and played Pop Warner football.

But Bates could just as easily play another position, Bates&8217; game is a very well rounded player, he just doesn&8217;t get to display his talents in other areas because he&8217;s to busy catching his wind from running the ball every down.

&8220;We run the ball with him so much, he&8217;s too tired to do anything else,&8221; Faircloth said. &8220;Demack is a complete player, he throws the ball, and catches better than anybody on the team and can kick too. He&8217;s also our best defensive player, and we try to get him in there as much as we can.&8221;

The road to Vidalia for Bates was a long one. After moving to Ferriday, when he was in the ninth-grade, Bates father made him switch schools because of conflicts with the coaching staff

Once at Vidalia Bates found himself a welcome home.

&8220;I knew right off the bat, what I had on my hands,&8221; Faircloth said. &8220;After talking with he and his dad I knew he was a special player, and a great kid too.&8221;

Bates remembers the encounter clearly.

&8220;He told me big things come in small packages,&8221; Bates said. &8220;I&8217;m honored to play for him, and when the going gets tough, he puts the ball in my hands. A lot of people think I should be playing at Ferriday, but I don&8217;t have any regrets. This is my home. Vidalia is my family.&8221;