Little has changed about Larry Warner since he dazzled football fans through his short career at Warren Central.

He still fights with doubters who see his 5-foot, 5-inch frame as too small to compete. He still exudes a positive outlook on his life and career. He still brings fans to their feet every time he touches the football.

&#8220Everyone loves Larry and loves to watch him play,” said Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College coach Steve Campbell. &#8220My wife has watched a lot of football, being a coaches wife for 17 years will do that, and she says Little Larry is her favorite player.”

Watching him run is as contagious as it is infectious, and those nationwide are starting to get a taste. Warner on Monday earned first-team All-American honors as chosen by the National Junior College Athletic Association.

He finished fourth in the nation in rushing yards (1,244), first in yards per carry (7.4) and scored 10 touchdowns in leading Gulf Coast to the state playoffs.

&#8220I think it’s a great honor,” Warner said. &#8220I still have to fight an uphill battle as far as recruiting, but maybe this will get some people’s attention.”

Louisiana Tech offered Warner a scholarship already and Louisiana-Lafayette visited him on Monday. National Signing Day is in February giving plenty of opportunities for late-comers.

&#8220I’ll just be patient and know that everything happens for a reason,” Warner said. &#8220If I don’t get to play Division I, then I didn’t deserve it.”

Warner is coming off a state all-star appearance that saw him win the South team MVP award. He also had the highest vertical leap and fastest shuttle against the best junior college players the state has to offer.

&#8220Larry has proven himself on the field over and over,” Campbell said. &#8220The thing they can’t measure about Larry is his heart. His heart is 6-foot-5 and he plays with tremendous effort and determination.”

Warner burst onto the scene as a junior at Warren Central. He began the season as the team’s fourth-string tailback, but because of injuries and other situations, got the start in the fifth game of the season. The first two times he touched the ball, he fumbled.

The rest of his career is part of Warren Central lore. In two seasons, he ran for 2,929 yards and earned back-to-back Vicksburg Post Player of the Year honors.

Following the first game of his senior year – Warner rushed for a ridiculous 301 yards on eight carries – coach Curtis Brewer said, &#8220When Larry touches the ball, people don’t go to the conession stand.”

After two stellar years at Gulf Coast, Campbell said Warner is drawing the most interest from Division I-AA and Division II teams, but the ex-Viking still has his eyes pinned on a Division I scholarship.

With the emergence of LSU speedster Trindon Holliday (5-5, 162 pounds) and Florida’s Brandon James (5-6, 170), Warner hopes their exposure overflows to him.

&#8220I look up to those guys and I hope they are opening peoples’ eyes about what it takes to play football,” Warner said. &#8220You have to have heart to play football.”