ROWLAND — Although South Robeson senior Te'Quenhtin Mitchell is playing just his first season of football, he's grown to use it as a model for life.

Mitchell, who goes by Ty for short, actually grew up loving basketball and believes that's where his talent lies. But on coach Garron Warwick's Mustangs, Mitchell has found more than just a game he loves, he's found a second home.

"I played football at first because it was fun, but later on it got to be like a family," Mitchell said. "It's my second life."

Mitchell's mother, Maudrica Mitchell, is currently serving overseas with the U.S. Army in Iraq. Although it has been hard to be away from his mother, Mitchell said one piece of advice she left him has stuck.

"Before she left, she told me to go hard at everything I do," Mitchell said. "So every day I go hard at practice, at every game, I always go hard. I never give up."

Warwick, who said Mitchell was voted as a captain by the coaches for being a good example to his teammates, has seen the fruits of Mitchell's commitment to himself, his family and his football team.

"These seniors have been through four head coaches in three years," Warwick said. "So the guys that we have like Ty, while there might have been a few bumps in the road early, these are the guys that have bought in and stuck it out."

On the football field, Mitchell wears No. 3, a special number. His cousin and inspiration to play football, wore the number as a senior wide receiver on last year's Mustangs. Mitchell's cousin is also in the U.S. Army, but has not yet been deployed overseas.

Warwick has seen Mitchell emulate the values that the military has given his family - heart, dedication, honor - and has come away impressed.

"Being able to go through what he's going through with his mom being gone, that's tough. That's tough on a kid," Warwick said. "It would be tough on you if you were an adult. But he's come a long way in maturity."

While military service runs in the family, Mitchell's goal is to be a starting cornerback for Campbell University, and Warwick believes in him.

On the field, Warwick said that while Mitchell is a good wide receiver, he believes "he can be a college cornerback."

Mitchell loves playing defense, and could be seen flying around the field breaking up passes in last month's Robeson County Jamboree. Warwick said he hasn't been able to showcase his talent to colleges yet because the Mustangs haven't played a passing team. But once they do during the conference season, he believes the word will get out.

"It's tough playing ironman football, which is what we do," Warwick said. "We're all playing both ways. But I'd rather have those 20 guys out there playing as a family than 100 on different pages when we get to conference games."

Through it all as a son, a student and a football player, Mitchell has persevered, learning to blaze his own path instead of following the path of others.

"We might be 0-2 right now, but this has been one of the most fun years I've had coaching," Warwick said. "People like Ty that could have followed others and walked away didn't. That takes heart. I'll always remember that."