Family makes Scarbrough the player he is today

Thu. December 15, 2011 at 2:21 p.m. | By Chuck Carree | StarNews Staff Writer

East Duplin's Dre Scarbrough practices Monday for this weekend's Shrine Bowl of The Carolinas. (Photo by Photo by Spartanburg Herald-Journal)

East Duplin High School senior Dre Scarbrough intends to sign a national letter of intent for football Feb. 1 with East Carolina.
By doing so, he becomes the first member of his talented extended family to make it as a Division I athlete. He also is the first to participate in the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas, which will be played at 1 p.m. Saturday in Spartanburg.
"Not everyone gets to play in the Shrine Bowl,'' Scarbrough said. "I was really surprised and happy being a part of it. It means a lot.''
Despite capturing consecutive NCHSAA Class 1A state championships with Wallace-Rose Hill, neither of his cousins, Dawan and Traveon McKinzie, were selected to a Shrine Bowl. The majority of Scarbrough's family is from Wallace, and his grandparents are from Charity, just outside Rose Hill. But Scarbrough has lived since adolescence in Chinquapin near William Brown, his uncle and the most influential person on his career.
Brown himself was a stalwart running back for East Duplin, where he rushed for 2,794 yards and 39 touchdowns in 1998.
"He pushed me,'' Scarbrough said. "He was a great player. He made sure I did the things I needed to do to be successful.''
Brown was a tireless player who once carried the ball 49 times in a playoff victory. Thirteen years ago, he ran the ball 399 times – the fourth-highest single-season total in NCHSAA history.
"He was tough on me,'' Scarbrough said. "He really wants me to focus on school work. That is where he has pushed me the most.''
With Brown as his guru, Scarbrough is considered one of the top prospects in the state by ESPN Football Recruiting Nation. The scouting report pointed to athleticism and speed and regarded him as a playmaker as well. He's been recruited to East Carolina as an outside linebacker, where he'll also play in this weekend's Shrine Bowl.
Over the past two seasons, Scarbrough had 192 combined tackles and 12 sacks while playing mostly on the defensive line. In 2011, he blocked two punts, an extra point and returned a fumble for a touchdown.
"Dre has a knack for getting to the football,'' East Duplin coach Battle Holley said. "He is one of the better players around the area. He can provide some pass rush and that type thing as well. And he is athletic.''
At 6-foot-1, 224 pounds and 4.6-second speed in the 40-yard dash, the Pirates offered him a scholarship before his senior season after being impressed by his potential at camps.
He accepted after bonding with the coaching staff, especially head coach Ruffin McNeill and inside linebackers coach John Wiley.
"They are about what is best for the kids coming in and helping them to graduate rather than making it all about football,'' Scarbrough said. "And they are close to home and the coaches reach out to the players. That caught my attention.''

Chuck Carree: 343-2262