DaKari Releford’s excellence began before he ever touched a football field. 

The Fountain-Fort Carson running back recently completed an astounding junior campaign where he gained 1,607 yards on 207 carries with 20 touchdowns, all career-best marks. 

He also set a new career high rushing the ball twice this year and reached the end zone in all but one game. 

But this year’s 5A-4A football Peak Performer plans to use football as a catalyst toward his future goals.

In his X bio, Releford has “future mechanical engineer” as he hopes to attend college and obtain a degree in the field. And Releford recognizes that the only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary.  

“When I was in middle school, I joined AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) and my teacher got me into a mindset of seeing my potential,” Releford said. “I build Lego cars and I build the engine and that inspired me. My dad also encouraged me to think of the future and think ahead before I get to that time of my life and I don’t know what to do.” 

Releford carries a 4.2 grade point average and made the Colorado High School Activities Association’s academic all-state team, which requires athletes have at least a 3.7 GPA. 

“Not only was he really good on the field for us, but to be first team academic all-state is impressive,” Fountain-Fort Carson coach Jake Novotny said. “These are (advance placement) classes and higher academic classes. The kid goes to summer school, not because he has grades to make up, but he wants to get ahead. He’s that type of guy.”

Releford has received interest from in-state colleges such as Colorado School of Mines and from Ivy League schools like Harvard and Princeton. 

Releford’s lofty goals come with a hefty price tag. But Releford’s solid support system allows the junior to remain poised.

“My parents pushed me to think about college as a kid and get into the process of setting up options and football can play a role in that,” Releford said. “Good grades will help me get into college, so I know I have to maintain that. When I get to college, I don’t want to pay much money. My goal is to make a little bit of money off of it.”

As a sophomore, his first year on varsity, Releford toted the ball 99 times for 576 yards and eight touchdowns. He had his best game against Denver South and finished with 127 yards on 17 carries for two scores. 

Impressive stats, but the Trojans’ running back was cognizant that those numbers needed improvement. Following track and field season where Releford and the Trojans’ 4×200 relay team placed second at state, his X profile morphed into a new-school resume. 

A plethora of posts highlighted Releford’s offseason camp list including University of Kansas, University of Michigan, University of Oklahoma, Wyoming, Missouri, CSU Pueblo and various others. 

He presented business cards to camp coaches that included his contact information and links to his Hudl page. 

“This shows a kid who has a dream and a goal and he’s trying to achieve that,” Novotny said. “His goal has not ever been about going to the next level to play football. It’s been about how to get college paid for and how to get the opportunity to get better educated. You don’t see that often these days.”

Releford noted the grueling schedule but remained motivated by his varsity introduction. 

In a 51-14 loss to Arvada West in the Trojans’ 2024 season opener, Fountain-Fort Carson had 20 carries for no yards. Releford had 8 rushes for -4 yards. 

“That left me a little salty and that was difficult for me,” Releford said. “Getting onto varsity and getting used to the speed and play style tough but I managed. But that was a frustrating point.” 

The Trojans opened the 2025 season with a 34-14 loss to the Wildcats, but Releford, nicknamed The Flash after the DC comics speedster, showcased his improvements. Releford earned a career-high 158 yards on 20 carries and two touchdowns in the Trojans’ first contest.

After five consecutive 100-plus yard games, the Trojans junior snapped against Douglas County on Oct. 3. 

Releford amassed 273 yards on 22 carries for four touchdowns, setting new career highs in the Trojans’ 56-9 victory. 

“His sophomore year, I didn’t feel we emphasized running the ball and getting him and our playmakers the ball enough,” Novotny said. “We worked diligently in the offseason to get back to running the football like Fountain-Fort Carson does. I think we had some of the best winter weight room participation and DaKari was one of the ones leading the way with that. We have testing data and he’s in the top five of squat, deadlift and bench press. … He’s doing all the things necessary to become a better player.”

Releford nearly quadrupled his yardage total from 2024 and more than doubled his touchdown output from his sophomore year. 

The Trojans finished last season 5-5 and improved to 8-4 in 2025 while facing six of the state’s top 25 opponents.

Releford expected the building blocks of this season to continue to carry him and his fellow Trojans toward their ultimate goal. 

“When we’re on the field, we have to show the other team that it’s go time and that it’s time to go to work,” Releford said. “What are we going to do to show them that we’re legit? I feel we showed teams that we’re not a team to mess with and that we locked in for the offseason and it showed throughout the year. We’ll be back next year.”