In Focus: Pettis A Product Of ‘Super Competitive’ Family
September 17, 2016 | Football, General
By Mason Kelley
GoHuskies.com
After hearing the question, Dante Pettis started to laugh.
When it comes to talent, there is plenty to go around in his family, so where does Washington's standout receiver and punt returner fit in the Pettis' hierarchy?
"At the top," he said.
Then paused, said he was joking and edited his statement a bit.
"I would say my brother is the most talented," Pettis said. "He's athletic and very, very artistic, so I'd put him at the top. I'd say I'm right underneath him."
The brother Pettis puts ahead of himself on the family talent tree is Kyler, who plays Theo Carver on the show "Days of Our Lives."
Does Pettis watch the show?
"I try to," he said. "It's tough because it's on every single day, so I record it, but if I get behind, there are like seven shows piled up on my DVR and I'm like, 'I can't watch that much right now.'"
Luckily for Pettis, all of Kyler's clips are compiled on Twitter, so he is able to keep up with Carver's exploits.
One of four children, the talent extends beyond Pettis and his siblings. His father, Gary – he is now the third-base coach for the Houston Astros – was a five-time Gold Glove Award winner who played for the Angels, Tigers, Rangers and Padres. His mother, Peggy, was a Raiderette cheerleader.
Blessed with good genes and a competitive spirit, Pettis, his brother, and two sisters, Paige and Shaye, competed at everything.
"We're all super competitive," Pettis said. "Growing up there was never a moment when we weren't competing in something."
Whether they were swimming across the pool or playing tennis, the siblings always tried to finish first. And then there were the epic games of Mario Kart on Nintendo 64.
"There were a lot of fights over that game," Pettis said.
When he looks back on his childhood, the competition among the family's children, "helped get me to where I am today."
It also helped to have a father who worked in the big leagues. Pettis was one those kids who was always in the clubhouse and, when the Astros are in town now, he still tries to make an appearance.
But growing up, he would follow his father out onto the field. He would watch as players went through daily drills and wondered why they were doing the same things each day.
"Why are they doing this again?" Pettis asked his father one day.
"That's what it takes to get here," his father replied.
And, once a player reaches the highest level, those drills continue to be important.
"Being around them before games, it was interesting to see how they would work," Pettis said.
But, as important as it was for Pettis to see the work put in by professional athletes, having them treat him like "a normal person" was special for the junior.
He said he continues to be friends with Rangers pitcher Derek Holland and had good relationships with players like Ian Kinsler, Elvis Andrus, Adrian Beltre and Josh Hamilton.
"Just hanging out with the guys, that was the first thing that showed me professional athletes are just normal people."
Then there was the time he met Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr.
"That was probably one of my favorite moments," he said.
Pettis happened to be on the field when Griffey was heading out for batting practice. About 10 years old at the time, Pettis walked over to the star.
"I walked up to him, all nervous and stuff, and he was like, 'What's wrong man? I'm just another person,'" Pettis said, looking back on the moment.
Thinking back on the day he met Griffey was enough to make Pettis pause for a moment before saying, "It was really, really cool."
As he has gotten older, Pettis has had the opportunity to interact with professional athletes as a child and now, in some ways, as a peer. Each interaction has helped him become a more complete football player.
"I don't know which one is cooler," he said. "When I was a kid, being around professional players in any context was great. Everyone wants to do that when they're a little kid. Those are your heroes, so being around them as a little kid was nuts."
And, now that he's older and, "closer to that age where professional sports is not just a dream, it's something you could actually attain, that kind of fan aspect goes away and it's more of a personal relationship."
One thing he does know for sure, life is definitely enjoyable these days.
"I'm definitely having a lot of fun right now getting to know the guys and being able to go out there and hang around with them, go on the field and catch fly balls," he said.
While his father's job provided the opportunity to grow up around baseball, it was his mother who always made sure each child always found a way to get where they needed to be.
"She always got us there on time," Pettis said. "We would get home and she would still cook dinner for us somehow. She was always at all of our games. She did a great job.
"I'm so thankful. I would see other people after the games having to sit and wait for their moms or they didn't have anyone come to the games for them, so I was really appreciative that she was there."
Each aspect of Pettis' life helped lead him to Washington, where he has blossomed into one of the top punt returners in the country, scoring four touchdowns in just over two seasons, including one in the season opener against Rutgers.
However, when asked about the key to getting into the end zone, well, he said it's more about his teammates than himself.
"People can say it takes a great returner and that is true," Pettis said. "You see people like Devin Hester or DeSean Jackson make a ton of people miss, but I really believe it's just whoever is blocking for you, how hard they're going and the scheme you're running."
Pettis said he was "untouched" during his first three returns.
"I just caught the ball and ran," he said. "My guys did the rest."
His Week 1 touchdown against the Scarlet Knights was the most difficult of the four so far.
"That was the first time I ever had to break a tackle and, really, the guy spun me around to right where I needed to go, so I think it has a lot to do with your blockers," he said.
Pettis has been a child interacting with athletes. He has become an athlete who interacts with young fans. He understands the importance of sharing a high-five as he runs out of the tunnel, because he was once that kid.
"I remember what it's like to be a little kid, so it's pretty special to be able to be in that position," he said.
So, while Pettis considers Kyler to be his most talented family member, what skill is more difficult, acting or returning punts?
Pettis started to laugh again.
"I would have to say acting," he said. "But my brother says he thinks anyone can act, you've just got to take your time."
And returning punts? "As long as you know how to catch a punt, you'll be fine," he said with a smile.
