Panther Safety Shows Heart Of A Lion
Lilburn (Ga.) Parkview safety/wide receiver Joe Sturdivant has been labeled "Mr. Everything" at the No. 2 high school in the nation. What he did last weekend was simply beyond description.
Sturdivant, a three-star safety and the No. 38 player in the nation at his position, amassed more than 150 total yards last Friday and scored four touchdowns in leading his team to their 39th straight win. He also did it the day after his father passed away.
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"I scored four touchdowns on offense and had 13 tackles and an interception on defense," said the 6-foot-3, 190-pounder. "I did it in my father's honor."
Sturdivant, whose father played for SMU, will play the rest of the season with a heavy heart. Parkview looks to remain undefeated next week when the playoffs start. In the meantime, recruiting is on hold for a little bit.
"I have offers from Navy and SMU," he said. "But obviously things have slowed down a bit. I'm going to Georgia Tech this weekend to see them play Florida State and I'm going to Florida State for their game against Florida (Nov. 29 weekend). Both are unofficial visits."
The week before his father's passing, Sturdivant caught three passes for 156 yards including touchdown catches of 55 and 65 yards.
On the season he has more than 300 yards rushing, more than 300 yards receiving, is averaging more than 20 yards-per-punt return and does it all for Parkview. On defense he has more than 60 tackles and five interceptions.
In addition to SMU and Navy, Sturdivant is receiving interest from Georgia Tech, Florida State, South Carolina, Michigan, Clemson, Maryland and others.
"I'm really open," he said. "I like certain schools, but it's going to come down to who offers me. I'm grateful to Navy and SMU for offering me and I'm going to consider both of them carefully. I'm hoping more teams will come in with offers soon."