Florida DE making his mark

It has been said numerous times and you will hear it again now, if you are looking for big men you had better come to the South. This is where you’ll find guys like Jacksonville (Fla.) The Bolles School defensive end John Russell. Russell was a virtual unknown in recruiting circles until recently.

“I have an offer from Louisville already,” Russell said. “Clemson said that they were going to offer soon too. Most of these schools have no tape of me. For a while I was kind of a nobody and the only way people were finding out about me was through my high school coach telling them.”

Russell certainly has all the credentials of a college defensive lineman. He stands at 6-foot-4 and weighs 245 pounds. He runs the 40-yard dash in 4.8 seconds.

“Right now my favorite schools are Tennessee, Clemson, Florida, Louisville, Nebraska and USC,” Russell said. “My dad was an assistant coach at Tennessee in the mid-80’s under coach Majors, so I have always been a big Tennessee fan.”

Russell grew up in Tifton, Georgia and still calls that home, though he boards at The Bolles School, when school is in session.

“I was supposed to go to the NIKE camp in Atlanta, but I got a case of turf toe a couple of days before it and wouldn’t have been able to do much so I didn’t go,” Russell said. “I knew that was a good opportunity to be able to impress some college coaches so I hated not being able to go. Right now the only camp I am planning on attending is at Florida.”

As a junior Russell racked up 103 total tackles, 10 sacks and recovered two fumbles. He earned all-first Coast, all-region and all-satilla honors as a junior.

“I’m looking for a school where I can get a good education, because there is no guarantee you will make it to the NFL,” Russell said. “Early playing time isn’t that important, because I know you have to go out there and prove yourself and make your presence known. Distance from home will not play a role in my decision either.’

Russell currently holds a 3.0 GPA and has already scored a 990 on his SAT.