It’s that time of year as the track seasons start to wind down to take a look at the football players (particularly the Gridironstuds.com members) that are getting it done on the track. These athletes have traded in their helmets for the tank top and track spikes and have shown their versatility by heating up the synthetic rubber.
You have to start with the fastest man in the country and that’s Ryan Lankford of Paxon Advanced Studies School in Jacksonville. Lankford has committed to Illinois to play football this Fall and will take his 10.41 speed to Champagne to try and help the Fighting Illini climb back up the Big Ten standings. Lankford’s 10.41 time is tops in the nation.
2010 Miami Hurricanes signee Latwan Anderson (pictured right) from Glenville H.S. in Ohio has heated up the track in a big way. Anderson has moved from a very successful season on the football field to an equally as impressive season on the track. Anderson currently holds the fastest time in the country in the 200 with a 20.92 clocking last Saturday at the Maralyn H. West Invitational. However, that’s not all, Anderson also holds the fourth fastest time in the country in the 400 meters with a time of 48.42 also run last week at the Maralyn West Invitational. The football standout signed a track scholarship with the Hurricanes in March, one month after the February 4th National Letter of Intent Signing Date. It was a move met with some skepticism but Anderson is proving that move to be fruitful signing for both the track and football teams at the University of Miami.
Yet another top performer from the Gridironstuds.com members is St. Thomas Aquinas’ Cody Riggs. The 2010 Florida signee and defending Florida state champ in the 300 meter hurdles currently holds the top time in the event this year with a time of 36.51. He also ranks 2nd in the 110 meter hurdles nationwide with a time of 14.03 and he ranks 6th in the long jump with a mark of 23′-2.5″.
Other Gridironstuds.com football players turned track athletes performing well in the sprints are: Shane Wynn, Anderson’s teammate at Glenville. Wynn has posted a 10.60 in the 1o0 meters making him tied for 14th overall in the country. Wynn also has a 21.45 in the 200 meters under his belt this season. Crenshaw (California) High School’s De’Anthony Thomas laid down a 10.67 in the 100 meters and a 21.48 in the 200 meters. Miami Northwestern’s Corvin Lamb who will play for Louisville in 2010 has a 2010 best of 10.78 in the 100 meters.
Class of 2011 wide receiver Phillip Dorsett of St. Thomas Aquinas (Florida) has bests of 10.79 in the 100 meters, 21.97 in the 200 meters, 15.05 in the 110 meter hurdles, 39.14 in the 300 meter hurdles and has a nationally ranked mark of 47′ 9.50 in the Triple Jump. Oh and by the way, Dorsett is also a member of Aquinas’ 400 meter and 1600 meter relay teams. He is the most versatile track athlete in this report. Douglas High School (Florida) junior Orville Reynolds has a 10.80 clocking in the 100 meters to his credit this 2010 outdoor season. 2010 Florida St. signee Lamarcus Joyner of St. Thomas Aquinas (Florida) has a 100 meter best of 10.83. 8th Grade sensation Sony Michel from American Heritage Plantation (Florida) clocked a 10.82 yesterday in his district meet. Yes, I did say 8th grade.
LSU 2010 signee Kadron Boone, wide receiver from Trinity Catholic in Florida has a 100 meter best of 10.87. 2010 Ohio St. signee Corey Brown from Cardinal O’Hara (Pennsylvania) is ranked 28th in the country in the 200 with a time of 21.80. Louisville 2010 signee Michaelee Harris from Miami Northwestern is 9th in the country in the 400 with a time of 48.65.
Chad Wilson is a college football recruiting expert and creator of the GridironStudsApp which allows high school football players to gain exposure to college football coaches and fans. Wilson is a former college football player for the University of Miami (92-94) and Long Beach St. (’90-’91) and played briefly for the Seattle Seahawks (’95). He is also a former youth and high school football coach for over 15 years most recently for 5-A State of Florida Champs American Heritage. He runs All Eyes DB Camp a defensive back training company located in South Florida IG: @alleyesdbcamp. Wilson’s oldest son Quincy plays in the NFL for the New York Giants and his younger son plays cornerback for the Arizona Cardinals.
