Travis Saxton is Eagle High football's enforcer

Eagle High's Travis Saxton may be a nice guy, but he qualifies as a bully on the football field.

The soft-spoken senior, who gets teammates, coaches and fans fired up with his bone-jarring hits and sure tackling, is the cornerstone of Eagle's defense.

"When he's on the field, you feel his presence," Eagle senior defensive back Justin Small said. "Any time we need a big play, most of the time he's there to make it."

The Mustangs (8-1) host Rocky Mountain (6-3) in the first round of the 5A state playoffs at 7 p.m. Friday at Thunder Stadium - an appropriate name for Saxton's playground.

"There's not a mean bone in his body, but he's got a nose for the football and he'll knock the snot out of you," Eagle coach Paul Peterson said. "He plays with his hair on fire. I really believe he is one of the top two or three players in this league. He looks like a man playing with boys at times."

After playing free safety last season - his first as a varsity starter - coaches decided to get the 6-foot-2, 190-pounder closer to the line of scrimmage to take better advantage of the ball hawk. The change to linebacker/strong safety is working for the Mustangs and Saxton, who said he is getting attention from Nevada, Utah State, Idaho, Weber State and Idaho State.

"Rather than trying to make water flow uphill, we thought, 'Let's get him doing what he instinctively wants to do and where it helps us the most,' " Eagle defensive coordinator Rob Rathbun said. "He really wants to go hit people and sometimes that hurt him as a free safety, because he had different responsibilities."

Through nine games, Saxton leads the team with 62 solo tackles - four for loss - and 42 assisted tackles. He also has five forced fumbles, two pass breakups and one interception.

Saxton, who also plays special teams and gets some looks on offense, didn't consider himself a big hitter until he watched a highlight video of Eagle defensive backs coach Eric Johnson, who played college football at Idaho State.

"He just obliterated people," said Saxton, who first saw the highlights a couple years ago. "That video inspired me."

While Saxton's ability to flatten opponents pleases fans, his ability to read an offense pleases his coaches.

"The first time I got a feel for Travis' capabilities was two summers ago, watching him play free safety," Peterson said. "After standing behind him and watching him dissect the play - he started cautious and then was so explosive - I thought, 'My gosh, this guy has incredible instincts.' He does so many things that can't be taught."

Coaches also value his leadership and sense of humor. One of three returning starters on defense, Saxton and senior quarterback Taylor Kelly are team captains.

"I really think Travis is the heart and soul of this team, not just on the field, but in the locker room, in the weight room and on the bus," Rathbun said. "He does everything 100 percent and he keeps things loose with his humor."

Also a star baseball player at Eagle, Saxton has an older brother who played high school baseball and a younger sister who plays volleyball. His mother played volleyball and competed in track and field in high school, and his father and uncle played high school football at Borah.

"More than anything, I like to have fun and I want my teammates to have fun, but I know when it's time to get serious," Saxton said.