You hear all the time. Hard work pays off, and it certainly has for so many south Florida athletes.
Because of the many opportunities these athletes have to work during the off season, you can often see the results of the hard work and dedication that so many athletes put in.
After all the Power 5 and upper level Division 1 football prospects have their scholarships, you still have thousands of football players statewide who are impact players. It’s always been that way.
Not everyone can be 6-5, 300 or run a 4.4 (40), but there are tons of prospects in south Florida who can play the game, and in the end, that is what sets this area apart from so many.
There’s no getting around the fact that special teams performers – kickers, punters and long snappers - have never been taken serious by team members. But that is changing – quickly.
As the University of Miami and other programs have found out, if you don’t have a dependable kicker, punter or long snapper, you could lose games.
The greatest thing about covering football in south Florida is that the marquee players will get their respect from camps, combines, games and word of mouth – while others will rely on people actually seeing them live.
It has happened for decades that so many prospects are overlooked, and the ones who are discovered are actually done by people watching them during games and seeing the difference that they make.
While it has been tough for many athletes in south Florida during this pandemic, grabbing the attention of college coaches has been a major chore.
As the spring and summer are usually the time when athletes impress college coaches with their skills, this year has been one crazy mess – and those trips to college campuses and the many team 7-on-7 events have not been a part of this major quarantine.