Carmel’s Dominic Delorme wanted to change his vantage point.
He spent much of the Corsairs’ games on the sidelines during his sophomore season last year, and he didn’t like the view.
“I thought I could be out there and making a difference,” Dominic Delorme said. “It was one of my hardest years, just watching from the sidelines. I played a good amount on special teams and fullback, but I considered myself a defensive player.”
Dominic Delorme wanted to start at linebacker. So after Carmel’s season ended, he began waking up at 4:30 a.m. on weekdays and at 7 a.m. on Saturdays to get in early workouts. His mother, Brooke, made him rest from his ambitious schedule on Sundays.
“I wanted to get bigger, faster and stronger, and woke early for nine months,” Dominic Delorme said. “I would work out after school too.”
Brooke Delorme never questioned his decision, despite having to drive him to the gym in the wee hours of the morning until he got his license.
“It wasn’t hard for me to get him to the gym most of the time, but he never took a break,” Brooke Delorme said. “I thought it was odd that the day after the playoff loss that he wanted to start. I was thinking he would take at least a week off to rest, but he started right away.
“I’m impressed with his drive. He has some lofty goals, and he just goes after them.”
The hard work is paying dividends for the 5-foot-10, 200-pound Dominic Delorme. He is starting at fullback and linebacker and getting snaps on special teams for the undefeated Corsairs (4-0) heading into their CCL/ESCC crossover game against defending Class 7A state champion Mount Carmel (4-0) on Friday.
He’s also “an emotional leader,” according to Carmel coach Jason McKie.
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“He’s a pillar in our program,” McKie said.
Dominic Delorme made an immediate impact on the field this season with 11 tackles and a forced fumble in Carmel’s opener against Crete-Monee. He had six tackles against Lake Forest and five tackles against Marmion, and he caught a pass against DePaul College Prep.
“He’s making a lot of plays,” McKie. “Our thing as coaches is to try to keep him fresh. The offensives coaches are fighting for him. The defensive coaches are fighting for him. The special teams coaches are fighting for him.”
Dominic Delorme’s success started in the weight room. He said he gained 30 pounds during the offseason and learned many lessons along the way.
“It helped me a lot, gave me a lot of discipline,” he said. “It wasn’t easy. It was hard every single day. The discipline helped me get through things.”
McKie said his staff noticed Dominic Delorme’s determination.
“He’s grown so much this offseason, put on a lot of muscle and really dedicated himself in the weight room,” McKie said. “He always put in extra work.”
Dominic Delorme said football has been a passion for him for a long time, but his mother made him wait to play until he was 10 years old. Brooke Delorme said that wasn’t easy.
“I kept him busy with taekwondo for as long as I could,” she said. “After he achieved his black belt at the age of 8, then it was difficult to hold him back.”
Dominic Delorme said football was the ideal sport for him because he could release pent-up aggression, although his perspective has changed over time.
“It was really hard not playing all those years,” he said. “I love the game, but I started playing angry. I used to have anger issues as a kid. I would play to get my emotions out.
“Now I’m calmed down, and I started to learn the game. I like it for what it is. It’s not a source to get my anger out.”
Dominic Delorme said he hopes his upward trajectory continues at the college level.
“I’ve just learned and tried to get better every year,” he said. “I realized I might be pretty good at this, so I stuck with it. I’ve always wanted to play at a high level.
“It’s awesome to be contributing and playing so much. I’m having a blast out there. I’m happy the coaches trust me to be out there so much.”
Bobby Narang is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.