Florida DB shedding sleeper status
So-called “sleepers” don’t stay sleepers very long when they do what Eric Sledge did at a combine this winter.
The Apopka (Fla.) defensive back opened a lot of eyes when he measured in at 6-foot-3, 185 pounds and ran a 4.42 forty for scouts in a regional combine.
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And the phone hasn't stopped ringing in his coach's office.
“Everybody’s starting to ask who Eric Sledge is now,” Apopka coach Ty Ensor said. “He’s getting all kinds of attention here lately. When people see him run – with his height and frame – they really love him. They think he’s going to be a major D-I kid.”
Sledge has been a two-year starter for the Blue Darters. As a junior, he recorded 40 tackles, two pass break-ups and one interception.
“We don’t see a lot of passing teams in this area,” Ensor said, “so those stats are a little misleading. Most people we face only throw it about 8-10 times a game. He had a great year covering people and coming up in run support.
“He’s a very aggressive, physical kid. He probably looks more like a safety, but he plays much better in coverage than roaming free. He's got excellent man-to-man cover skills, and he can match up with those big receivers you see these days, so I think a lot of people will look at him as a corner.
Ensor noted the Blue Darters will likely also use Sledge at wide receiver because "he's got great hands. He's just a kid with all kinds of raw potential."
Sledge has yet to draw his first scholarship offers, but Ensor said all the Florida schools are expressing interest, as well as some other top programs across the South.
“We should know more after some people come by this spring and see him,” he said. “By the time the summer camps are done and we’re ready to start next season, he should have several nice offers.”