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Honors and Awards
- Brook Berringer Citizenship Team (2011, 2012)
- Nebraska Student-Athlete HERO Leadership Award (2011)
2013 Outlook
Junior defensive end Donovan Vestal will look to make the most of an opportunity to earn playing time on the Nebraska defensive front in 2013. The 6-5, 275-pound Vestal has continued to add strength in the NU weight room over the past year and hopes to see action at a spot where Nebraska lost three of its top four defensive ends from the 2012 season, with senior Jason Ankrah the only returning player with extensive game experience.
2012 (Sophomore)
Vestal added depth at defensive end, but did not see game action.
2011 (Redshirt Freshman)
Vestal added depth at defensive end, but did not play in a game. He did make the travel roster for the trip to Penn State.
2010 (Redshirt)
Vestal redshirted and worked on the scout team in his first season. Vestal missed part of the season with a shoulder injury.
Before Nebraska (Bowie HS)
Vestal came to the Huskers from Bowie High School in Arlington, Texas, where he was a standout for two seasons for Coach Kenny Perry. Vestal registered 55 tackles, 7.5 sacks and an interception during his senior season. His play helped Bowie to an 11-3 record and a trip to the Class 5A state playoffs, while Vestal earned honorable-mention all-district honors.
Vestal played both defensive end and defensive tackle during his prep career and his play as a junior helped Bowie to an 11-2 record. Vestal was regarded as one of the top 30 defensive ends in the country by Rivals.com, which also listed him among the top 100 overall prospects in the Lone Star State. The Dallas Morning News ranked him among the top 50 players in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, while SuperPrep ranked him among the top 110 prospects in the state.
Vestal was also a standout for Bowie's basketball team.
Vestal did not take any other visits, but had numerous offers, including Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri, Oklahoma State and Baylor in the Big 12.
Personal
Donovan is the son of Donald and Sonja Vestal, and was born on Aug. 22, 1991. He is a business administration major. Vestal has immediately become one of Nebraska's community outreach leaders and was named to the 2011 Brook Berringer Citizenship Team. Vestal has volunteered his time with Special Olympics, DARE, Husker Heroes, the Foster Care Festival, YWCA and numerous school and hospital visits.