The D in Carlton Djam's last name is silent. His play on the football field and his character off it speak volumes.

Djam, a junior at Totino-Grace, scored two touchdowns in the Eagles' season-opening victory against Coon Rapids. He rushed 37 yards for a first-quarter score, and his 27-yard interception return in the second quarter capped the Eagles' scoring in a 48-6 blowout.

Coach Jeff Ferguson said Djam's two-way impact owed to a "significant offseason" in which the young man grew in myriad ways.

"He's a charismatic kid with high potential as a leader," Ferguson said.

Djam spoke with Star Tribune reporter David La Vaque about his role in the Coon Rapids victory, summer workouts and coming into his own on and off the field.

Q Totino-Grace tends to use its best athletes in several ways. Were you a running back who learned to play safety or the other way around?

A Well, before the year, I had been training at both positions because that's what I did last year. But I'd say I was primarily a running back early last year. Then toward the middle I started playing both positions. Coming into this year I was more focused on playing safety, but I was still ready to play running back whenever they needed me.

Q You ran for a touchdown and you had a pick-six against Coon Rapids. Which one was sweeter?

A [Laughs.] We take pride in our defense so I'd say the interception was just a little bit sweeter. Defensive scores are rare so that was pretty fun.

Q Not in that game. You guys returned three interceptions for touchdowns in the second quarter. For most teams, that's maybe a season's worth.

A Our defense is really opportunistic. Our coaches want us to take chances. We're kind of high-risk, high-reward.

Q Coach Ferguson praised your offseason workout habits. What did you do more of or differently?

A We have a great speed and strength coordinator named Sylvia [Braaten] and she really helped a lot. I really wanted to focus on getting more explosive and improving my speed. Plus, last year I was smaller. I weighed about 155. I got up to about 180 this year and it was just from putting in a bunch of work in the weight room.

Q You must feel like a different person this fall.

A Oh, definitely. I can feel the improvement, especially from the speed standpoint -- being able to fly around and make plays, shrugging off hits and making bigger hits.

Q Coach Ferguson sees your leadership potential. It's a wonderful thing to have somebody say, but it's a challenge, too.

A One of the things I like about Coach Ferguson is that he always challenges me to do better. I do see it in myself and I'm trying to work at it every day to become a better leader and improve the Totino-Grace community.

Q Let's talk football again. You guys moved to the Northwest Suburban Conference this season. Were you guys looking to come out of the first week with a big victory that established yourselves?

A We were just looking to execute well and do our best. Our coaches tell us to play hard and leave our hearts on the field.

David La Vaque • 612-673-7574