You probably noticed by now, but if you haven’t, there are a number of sons who are following in the football footsteps of their fathers.
It seems that south Florida has long been that way, but for some reason, there are more than ever over the past five years.
It is never easy to come in after your dad has set records, played at a high level and ultimately is considered an icon.
By now, we all know that kickers and punters are not the main priority on football teams. It’s long been that way.
But there is no getting around how vital an accurate a kicker or solid punter can be to any program – just ask the University of Miami, where a solid kicking game could have turned the entire season around in 2019.
By now, we all know how impressive the youth football in south Florida has been for decades.
In many ways, it’s the reason that this area is home to more football prospects than anywhere in the country.
It is now common for talented young men to make their way from youth fields in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach, and make an impact right away at the varsity level in high school.
We have gone over it plenty during the past few years – especially here in the off season - about the offensive line position in south Florida.
Because of the elite talent that we have in this region of the country, record numbers of college coaches head south to see some of the outstanding prospects that continue to emerge.
While these colleges are checking out some of those impressive prospects, they also get the chance – firsthand – to see that in south Florida, and throughout the state, the offensive line position is starting to be a place to create a pipeline and change the look of teams nationally – just like running backs, receivers and defensive backs have long done.
The greatest thing about the off season in south Florida is there is really no off season.
Sounds confusing, but football has now become a 12 month a year deal, and if you don’t keep up, there is a long line that you will have to stand in to grab the spotlight back.
There was a time when many would criticize colleges for handing out offers away from the football season. There was a thought that actually awarding a scholarship in January, February or March was not something you do, but times have changed.