We often talk about south Florida football talent and how the athletes are starting earlier and earlier to make an impact.
Look on just about any roster in Miami-Dade and Broward Counties and you will find prospects who have been getting it done since the 9th grade – some in the 8th at private schools.
The one thing we look back to are the amazingly talent youth programs that have long been in place. From Florida City to Deerfield Beach and just about everywhere in between, athletes are given the opportunity, on a huge stage, to make a statement. What happens on those football fields is talented young men are growing up and maturing right before our very eyes.
Lineage, especially when dealing with athletics, is often times a very big indicator of the future.
When you follow in the footsteps of a sibling who was successful, it often signals that there is a better chance of succeeding than if you didn’t have something to follow and go by.
While having a sibling is important in the process, having role models and other people in your life who have already blazed a trail. That is essential in learning the good and bad, and using mistakes as trial and error.
No matter what walk of life you choose to follow, there are always going to be those people who will defy every odd placed in front of them.
No matter what the obstacle may be, there are just some who have been fortunate enough to have the gene that helps them overcome just about anything that may be in their way.
While the days of athletes playing more than one sport have dwindled over the past few years, there are still those who are too good to just play one sport – and one position.
Because football is truly a year-round sport, if you take part in workouts, 7-on-7 events, camps and combines in the off season, it’s often tough for an athlete to compete in multiple sports.
There is a saying that sometimes change does a person good – and for many – it does.
In south Florida, there is so much talent, especially in the defensive secondary, from game to game – month to month, new stars always emerge.
What it comes down to when looking at talent in this region of the country, body of work certainly wins out over a knee-jerk reaction about a performance in shorts and a t-shirt.