MUS football star Dion Stutts remembered as 'good ol’ country boy' who loved living on farm

Dion Stutts was just a good ol’ country boy, according to the people who knew him well.

Sure, he was an Arkansas football commit, three-star recruit and one of the Memphis area's top high school wrestlers. But his love for athletics didn’t compare to his love for working on his family farm in the Batesville, Mississippi, area in Panola County, which is located about 60 miles south of Memphis.

"It was really eye-opening to see how knowledgeable he is,” said Gavin Helton his football teammate at Memphis University School and friend. “... That’s what he’s been around all of his life.”

Stutts died in an apparent ATV accident on Tuesday night in Batesville. The Panola County Sheriff’s office said the accident is still under investigation. Stutts was 18 and had just completed his junior year at MUS.

"Our hearts are broken for the family,” said Bobby Alston, MUS football coach and athletic director. “Dion was such a great young man. He had a smile that warmed your heart when you had a chance to be around him.

“We’re going to miss that smile; miss that wonderful personality and we’re just praying for his family right now."

Helton, who was a football teammate of Stutts, got to see up close just how much he loves working on the farm. Helton remembers the times he would visit Stutts and learn more about animals, farm life and truly seeing Stutts in his most comfortable environment.

“He was just a good guy; a good ol’ country boy,” said Chris Lewis, the wrestling coach at MUS. “He wore his boots everywhere.”

Those are the memories Helton and Tee Perry, also Stutts' football teammate at MUS, will hold onto about Stutts.

"Last week, he started introducing me (to his friends) as his brother," said Perry, whose friendship with Stutts grew closer over the last few years. "It's bad timing. I'm going to miss him. He was always there for me."

A two-sport star

Stutts was a phenomenal athlete at MUS. He was second all-time at MUS in wins as a wrestler with 139. His wrestling career started in eighth grade. Lewis remembered Stutts was always a big kid. When he introduced him to wrestling in eighth grade, Stutts had to wrestle with the varsity team because there was no weight class for 240-pound middle schoolers.

He went on to fall one win shy of a state tournament appearance as a middle schooler. Stutts eventually finished runner-up in the state title match as a sophomore, but never won a state title.

On the football field, Stutts was the big defensive lineman who created havoc. While seeing double teams most of his junior season, Stutts had 30 tackles and 13 tackles for loss. His recruiting profile continued to blossom before he committed to Arkansas football.

"In football, he would always say he wouldn’t feel comfortable with anybody behind him besides me,” said Helton, a linebacker for the Owls. “... We had a lot of fun, building that relationship on the field.”

And as big as Stutts was — he competed in the 285-pound class in wrestling — he was also a “gentle bear” as Lewis described.

“Big, 280-pound monster, but he was the nicest guy in the world,” Lewis said.

A gentle bear

Lewis remembers after a wrestling match against Briarcrest, he was trying to talk to his team. Everybody was in front of him, except Stutts. He was behind Lewis with his arms raised as if he was a bear behind his coach.

The team fell out laughing.

Stutts was always a hard worker, but he knew how to have fun too. That’s what made him not only a likeable player and teammate, but a great friend.

Helton has many memories of Stutts, including the time the two joined Perry and snuck out of Stutts' home at 1 a.m. to go cow tipping.

The three made their way from the house to the farm and Stutts started banging a pot to alert the cows. They darted toward Helton and Perry. They didn’t know what to expect, it was their first time out there. All of a sudden Helton flashed a light and saw nearly 100 eyes staring back at him.

At the time it was equally terrifying and funny. Stutts was nowhere to be found.

"It was all just hilarious,” Helton said of that night.

Those are the memories his friends will hold onto. That’s the way they want to remember Stutts: an easy-going, hard-working, fun, good ol’ country boy.

“We’re all blessed that he touched every one of our lives,” Lewis said. “I’ll never forget him.”

Reach Wynston Wilcox at wwilcox@gannett.com and on Twitter @wynstonw__.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Dion Stutts death: Arkansas football commit loved living on farm