George Washington High School senior Sharrif Floyd, who signed a letter of intent Wednesday to play football for the University of Florida, has a stack of honors.
He’s considered the best high school defensive tackle in the country. One scouting service lists him as the No. 4 player overall nationally. The Maxwell Club named Floyd national player of the year.
Football isn’t his only specialty.
“Try to feed him,’’ George Washington High coach Ron Cohen said Wednesday, joking about his 305-pounder, “I’m glad he’s going to the University of Florida. I can take him off my income taxes now.’’
Floyd talked Wednesday about the time recently when Cohen and his wife took Floyd to dinner at Applebees.
“You two are getting the two for $20?’’ Floyd said to his coach. “I’m going to get the two for $20.’’
For this guy, a two-for-one special means just that, two-for-him.
George Washington line coach Pat Montgomery took Floyd to Famous Dave’s just off Roosevelt Boulevard. Waiters who weren’t serving Floyd came out to watch him take care of a couple of dozen wings, a full burger meal and a Caesar’s salad.
“We went to breakfast at the Country Club diner,’’ Cohen said. “A normal breakfast costs about $9. His cost $27. He had three orange juices – large. He had two full breakfast plates, plus extra bagels, pancakes, bacon.’’
George Washington weight coach Greg Garrett is impressed with what Floyd can put away but more impressed with his work in the weight room. When Floyd showed up in ninth grade as a 275-pounder, he could bench-press roughly 205 pounds. By 11th grade, he benched 405 pounds. Just fooling around, Floyd could pick up over 300 pounds and bench it five or six times, Garrett said.
Cohen said the Public League probably won’t see a player of Floyd’s caliber again.
“I’d like to see somebody more dedicated and a harder worker than Sharrif Floyd,’’ Cohen said.
Don't look for him competing this week at Wing Bowl eating contest, although he probably could.
"He's starting to eat healthy, too,'' Cohen said.
Contact staff writer Mike Jensen at 215-854-4489 or mjensen@phillynews.com
0 like this / 0 don't •
Posted 10:33 PM, 02/03/2010
Why would a coach be taking him to dinner? Can you imagine if a teacher took a student to dinner? Not only would it be wrong, but it would be creepy. The priviledges athletes get are unreal. I guess it starts even earlier now.
0 like this / 0 don't •
Posted 3:39 PM, 02/05/2010
Did you hear that the defensie coach for Florida (George Edwards)that recruited this kid quit Florida yesterday to take a job as coordinator for the Buffalo Bills! I would be fuming...Hear the guy and Urbin Meyer recruit this kid and one of them turns around and quits. Florida is a bunch of low life gutter trash!
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