Before every game, he stops at the 40-yard line. If you ask him why he picks that line, even he doesn’t know. 

Nevertheless, senior safety Deone Bucannon takes the time to pray before he plays football because he is thankful for the opportunity to suit up for the Washington State Cougars. 

“It just kind of stuck. I did it one time, and so I just remember the 40,” Bucannon said. “There’s really no significance to it. I haven’t really thought about it myself, but it’s definitely always the 40-yard line.”

Bucannon grew up with both his parents serving in the military. His mom was shipped off to Iraq for a year when he was in seventh grade. His dad retired when Bucannon was young, but he was still there for Bucannon as he dealt with his mom being away at war. 

 “My dad did a great job just telling me everything’s going to be alright and just being a support system for me,” Bucannon said. “I’m a spiritual guy, so I just knew God was going to have her back and keep her safe.”

Growing up with parents in the military may sound difficult, but Bucannon said they are not as strict or controlling as some people think. 

“They have just rules. Don’t steal, don’t lie, don’t cheat,” Bucannon said. “Just don’t break any of those rules, and it’s all good.”

He said things were always on a schedule and that there was a lot of discipline, but those represented the extent of the military side of his parents. 

“Other than that, they’re just as loving and caring as any other mom and dad,” Bucannon said. He looks up to both of them and said they made him into who he is today. 

The road to playing football at Washington State was a gradual one for Bucannon. 

Bucannon said he played the sport all of his life, starting with flag football. His parents said he had to play flag football before he played in a league that allowed tackling. 

From there, he went on to play in a Pop Warner league but he did not have a starting position. He said he thought about quitting, but his mom told him to stick with it. Bucannon listened to his mom and eventually earned a starting position on defense. He continued playing defense in high school and loved it ever since, he said. 

When the recruiting process began, San Diego State, Army, Arizona State, and Sacramento State were among the schools that took an interest in Bucannon. However, he found the best fit at WSU. 

“When I came down here, I fell in love with the place,” Bucannon said. “Everyone down here is so nice, and it’s a loving environment. It’s an awesome atmosphere to be around, and it’s a place where you really love it or you really hate it, for a lot of people. I was just one of the people who really loved it.”

When he’s not playing football, he likes to play golf, which he played in high school. He said his dad got him into playing golf, but Bucannon also participated in baseball and basketball.

Now that he has chosen football, he hopes to take his skills to the NFL once he finishes college. While still at WSU, though, Bucannon is living his life one day at a time and thanking God for where he is today. 

 “I’m just blessed to have this opportunity, and why not make the most of it?” Bucannon said. “That’s what I always say to myself. That’s what I’m always thinking because anybody else would kill for the spot that a lot of us are in.”