Therefore, one might assume he had difficulty readjusting to the physical rigors of football after he decided to strap on the pads again as a senior.

Wrong.

Not even close, actually.

With an aggressive, hard-hitting style, impressive instincts and a nose for being around the ball, free safety Shumpert has emerged as a major bright spot for Temple's defense during the first half of the season.

He's racked up 73 tackles - 41 more than any other Temple defender - to go with three fumble recoveries and an interception for the Wildcats (1-4 overall, 0-2 District 12-5A), who host Killeen Ellison (3-2, 1-1) in a crucial game at 7:30 Friday night at Wildcat Stadium.

Asked how his return to what he calls his "real love" has been, Shumpert said, "My football experience is going great so far."

Temple coach Bryce Monsen is in full agreement.

"Donovan's a tremendous young man and he's been above and beyond the call of duty for us," Monsen said. "He's from a great family, he's a great student of the game and he's a tough competitor."

And one more thing: "He likes to hit," Monsen said, "and we appreciate that."

At 6 feet and 175 pounds, Shumpert has a lean, muscular build, but he's not an imposing figure in or out of uniform.

What he is, however, is a player who doesn't shy away from contact. In fact, he seems to seek it and relish it.

Shumpert has made 14 tackles or more in four games this year and began his varsity career with consecutive games of 17, 15 and 18 stops against Cedar Park, Leander and Plano, respectively, the last of those a 17-14 victory. He had 14 tackles in last Friday's 24-10 loss at Copperas Cove.

Shumpert played receiver and cornerback on the freshman team but says his current spot best suits his skills and attitude.

"It's a way better position for me," Shumpert said of free safety, where he's responsible for deep pass coverage, run defense at the line of scrimmage and just about everything in between. "It's like another linebacker."

Three plays summarize the season Shumpert has produced.

In the opener against Cedar Park, the Timberwolves were driving deep into Temple territory when Shumpert intercepted a crossing pass near the goal line. He says he thought he had clear sailing on the return, but out of nowhere he was blasted by a Cedar Park player at the Wildcats' 14-yard line and fell to the turf. But he held onto the ball on a night when Temple lost five fumbles.

"That was the hardest hit I've ever taken," he said.

At Plano, running back Kevin Merrill got loose for a 10-yard run to the left side before Shumpert raced over and delivered a shot that flipped Merrill around and knocked him to the artificial turf.

"I read the guard, and when he pulled I saw they were going to pitch the ball," he said. "I came up to meet (Merrill) and did two shuffles with my feet and hit the kid."

It was a bittersweet play for Shumpert, who stood over Merrill after the big tackle and was assessed a 15-yard penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct. Monsen liked the physical play and says Shumpert learned from the flag he received.

Then last week at undefeated Cove, the Bulldawgs faced a fourth-and-1 situation at their 36 on their first possession of the night. Cove tried to send big running back Brandin Byrd through the line, but Shumpert and linebacker Derrick Davis surged forward to knock Byrd back for a loss of a foot and a turnover on downs.

Shumpert credited longtime Temple defensive backs coach Chuck Haag with helping him recognize Cove's formation and what it meant.

"Coach Haag told me when they line up in the I formation, it's going to be power football," said Shumpert, who helped Temple's defense limit the Bulldawgs to 228 total yards. "I came up and alerted everyone and we jumped in there and stopped him."

Said Monsen: "Coach Haag has done a very good job of coaching Donovan on the technique part of the game, and Donovan has good instincts. He's asked to do a lot and he's been an impact player. He's a hard worker and he's shown young kids that you can do multiple sports."

Shumpert, who also runs hurdles for Temple, says he left the football program after his freshman season because he was told he'd play varsity basketball as a sophomore. That didn't happen, but he did start as a quick, aggressive point guard for first-year coach Tim Thomas' 11-18 Wildcats last season.

Classmates Davis and A.J. Coulter, both Temple football standouts, persuaded Shumpert to come back out for football as a senior, so he went to Monsen and got his approval.

"He just showed up coming out of basketball and said he'd like another chance to play football," Monsen said. "We're a second-chance program, and we said, 'You bet.' (But) he had to earn his way back."

Now that he's back and playing remarkably well in the Wildcat secondary, Shumpert has his sights on extending his football career into college. He says he's been offered a scholarship by Texas State and continues to weigh his options.

Shumpert also rides horses with the Bell County Gunslingers Riding Club, has been active in Future Farmers of America and plans to become a veterinarian. That seems fitting for a guy who's playing like an animal and riding ball carriers to the ground every chance he gets.

"Football is my real sport," he says. "It's my real love."

ngwille@temple-telegram.com