Doug Santos overcomes adversity to star on the football field
WORCESTER, Mass. (BVM) — It’s safe to say Doug Santos knows adversity when he sees it, and a lot like his competition on the football field, he runs it over.
Santos was born in Brazil and came to the United States in 2003 when he was just 7 years old. Santos came to the U.S. illegally with his 8-year-old sister after traveling in tractor-trailers and vans throughout Mexico. Finally, Santos and his sister reached the U.S. by themselves. Considering the struggles Santos has faced in his life, when it comes to football, it’s easy.
Santos ended up in Peabody, Mass., where his high school football coach took him in. The Department of Children and Families wanted to take him, but the coach knew he had an amazing football player as well as an incredibly grateful kid.
Santos’ struggles early on in life helped fuel him on the football field. He saw an opportunity and ran with it. In his junior year at Peabody High School, he rushed for more than 2,000 yards and broke both records at Peabody for yards rushed and touchdowns scored. Santos did it again his senior year and became Peabody’s all-time leading rusher.
Unfortunately for Santos, there were complications with his green card, so there were many challenges getting into college. However, like anything else in his life, he faced the issues head-on and got the opportunity to play for Assumption College.
In 2016, just his first year at Assumption, Santos appeared in 12 games for the Greyhounds. He ran the ball 79 times for 443 yards and one touchdown, caught three balls for 41 yards and ran back four kickoffs for 107 yards. Santos’ success carried into his sophomore year where he had similar stats to his freshman season, playing just one less game. In 2018, Santos appeared in just 10 games after suffering a high ankle sprain in the season opener. This didn’t stop Santos and the Greyhounds from finishing 11-2 in what was the most successful season in the program’s history.
Named captain for his final season in 2019, Santos earned NE10 All-Conference second team honors. Appearing in 10 games for the Greyhounds, he ran for 902 yards and five touchdowns, averaging 5.9 yards per carry. Santos also caught 15 passes for 109 yards and returned five kicks for 112 yards, giving him 1,123 all-purpose yards. His best game came Sept. 24 against Saint Anselm when he ran for 163 yards and two touchdowns on 15 attempts, averaging 10.9 yards per carry, with his longest rush being 73 yards.
Doug Santos is not one to shy away from the ups and downs of life. His maturity and humbleness may be the reason his high school coach took him in. It was that attitude mixed with an incredible work ethic that got Santos to where he is today. Santos climbed from the bottom but never forgot his roots. From traveling across Mexico in the back of vans to breaking records for Peabody High School and being an all-star captain for Assumption college, Santos is a model figure for how to make the most of what’s in front of you.
