How to I deal with this kind of crush?

So this guy I met a while ago that i really didn't know that went to my school we started talking to each other. It first started when I called one of my guy friends on video chat and he was on there and he noticed me and we started texting and chatting ever since . Once I found out that he was player from more than enough girls, and girls that he tried to talk to in the past, I was shocked, then I noticed every time I went on facebook on my home page, he would be commenting on some girls photo or asking multiple girls to call him or hmu..I really didn't let it get to me but there was a incident with him and one girl (not going to share...kinda baad) but that sort of effected my answer when he tried to get me to go out with him and before you start saying that I shouldn't be listening to what people say, I actually seen him go out with a girl and dump her because he started liking another girl behind her back. Thoo' ive heard and seen a lot I still get nervous when I see him and always get excited when he calls or text me. Thoo' hes a player in person he is really shy and funny and i can tell he gets nervous when he sees me but whenever he starts to flirt with me something inside me starts pulling me back, I really think in person he is a cool person in person. He even came to my graduation (not just for me specifically) but i could tell that he really wanted to see me by the way he was always staring at me, and how nervous he was to come up to talk to me when everyone was socializing. But when I first saw him at the graduation i was scared to walk to him and his boys so i just walked passed him , and let him talk to me first so i dont embarrass myself. Then before i saw him at the mall and he was again so nervous in front of me and i texted him to see if he was still in the mall and we walked together for a bit and i really liked just being near him. So now that school is over i wanna hang out with him and text him and what not but i decided to start texting him first lately because i decided if sometimes i wanna talk to him then maybe i need to start texting and i think as a player he noticed that im starting to like him he doesnt want to text me anymore and now that he isnt paying attention to me , the obvious is, that i start wanting him more but even when he does start texting me and calling me again i dont want to start falling for him again because he will forever be a player but i dont know if he'll change for me, but i doubt that. So i mean what should i do , do i give him a chance and tell him i like him just like those other girls who done it and got heart broken or i mean i cant avoid him ...but if anything i'll settle for being friends with him cause i dont want to lose him , i know that he likes him but i dont know if hes being a player or being serious. hmmmmm please help because i really am falling for him and i dont wanna get hurt... p.s small question : if he was the last one to text do i text first ?? sorry for a such a silly question just wanna knoww