Aaron Stanton brings team-first mindset into senior season

Senior running back Aaron Stanton won't be defined by numbers, but by mindset.

He's only 5-feet 4-inches tall, a fact that initially limited his opportunities to play college football.

"That's unavoidable," Stanton said. "When it comes to recruiting, a lot of it is just numbers. I was looking for someone who could look at my attitude, see how I play, and realize I could add value to that program. That's what I felt here."

Stanton started playing football in the third grade and soon decided he wanted to play in college.

"I was hyper and fast. That makes you pretty good when you're that young," he said.

In California, high schoolers can't play varsity until they turn 14 years old. Stanton was called up to the varsity as soon as he turned 14—in the third round of the 2009 state playoffs. He went to high-profile junior college Ventura out of high school and was an All-Conference selection both his years there.

He talked to some high-profile schools while at Ventura, including Texas Tech and Arizona; but when the scholarship opportunity came at Southern Illinois, he committed on his visit to Carbondale.

"People here are very genuine, and it's a nice town," Stanton said. "Once I saw that, I knew what I was looking for."

He played in all 11 games and started four at running back for the Salukis in 2015. He tried to find an ideal playing weight, balancing the bulk needed to play at the Division I level with the speed and balance that made him the 2014 conference Player of the Year at Ventura in 2014.

"The speed wasn't where it needed to be," Stanton said of his 2015 season. "I saw creases where I knew I should make it, and my balance wasn't there. I came into (2016) spring ball lighter, and I felt the difference in the balance and the speed."

But his numbers—his yards, his 40-time, his touchdowns—won't define his senior season at Southern Illinois. His team's win total takes precedent over all of that.

"If I don't play a single down, but we win, I'm going to consider this a successful season," Stanton said.

First-year head coach Nick Hill has players and coaches speak to the team each night of fall camp, giving the team a family atmosphere that Stanton is confident will translate on the field this fall.

"We're completely different—new attitude, new faces, new staff," he said. "I feel a lot closer to this team than I've ever felt with any team in my life. We all truly understand each other's motivations, and we all just want to win."

So it's no surprise that the selfless Stanton plans to pursue a military career after his playing days are done. He plans to join the Army and pursue special operations with the Rangers.

"I've always looked up to people in the military," Stanton said. "That's some of the most selfless work. You don't complain, and you're doing work harder than anyone else even dreams about."

He has already shown that mindset at Southern. He brings that hyper energy to the field and locker room every day, going outside his off-the-field laid-back demeanor to help the team win.

"I'm not really like that outside of football," Stanton said. "But in football, that's a role. If I can motivate everybody else, I'm doing my role."

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