NCAA FB

Demand for Floyd takes off

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Updated Nov 23, 2009 11:30 PM ET
     
 
As Sharrif Floyd ambles into the gym at George Washington High in northeast Philadelphia, his teammates are already well into their stretching. At 6-3 and 315 pounds, wearing a backward Ohio State cap, Floyd looks every bit the gentle giant. But the senior offensive and defensive lineman is hungry in many ways. His favorite meal is shrimp Alfredo, and he drinks orange juice by the gallon. He also likes to inflict punishment. "My favorite thing is hitting quarterbacks and linebackers," Floyd says. "The best hits are the ones where the whole stadium hears it and they go, 'Oooohhhh.' " Born prematurely, he weighed 3 pounds, 7 ounces. But by the time he entered George Washington, he weighed 275. Working with assistant coach Greg Garrett, who plays semipro football , Floyd has improved his bench press by 100 pounds his first three seasons and nearly doubled his squat. Over the summer, he bench-pressed 400 pounds and squatted 600. Last year, Floyd overcame a torn ligament in his left knee to help lead George Washington to the District 12-4A title, blocking a key punt for a safety in a 23-14 upset of suburban power La Salle (Wyndmoor). Despite his play, Boston College and Temple were the only schools to show interest. He was invited to the U.S. Army Combine in San Antonio in January, but the travel costs seemed prohibitive. "I saw the expense of it, and I didn't think we could do it," George Washington coach Ron Cohen said. Dawn Seeger, a counselor at George Washington who works with the football team and has even at times given Floyd a place to stay, had a different idea. "I told him he was going," Seeger said. "I just didn't know how." Floyd was raised by his grandmother, Lucille Ryans, but the trip to school from her house can take more than an hour, and his appetite stretches her budget to the limit. In the past year, he has stayed with various relatives and Seeger, who lives blocks from the school. With help from special-education students, Seeger and Floyd baked brownies and sold them at school for weeks. Seeger also held a benefit at a local tavern. George Washington alumni donated money, and an anonymous parent from La Salle pitched in $500. Floyd made the trip to San Antonio and stood out, which led to other opportunities. "He's a muscular, thick kid who's light on his feet and has that aggressive nature," said Tom Lemming, a recruiting analyst for CBS College Sports. "He may be the best defensive tackle in the country." Floyd, listed as the top defensive tackle by Lemming and Rivals.com and the No. 4 defensive tackle by Scout.com, has his choice of colleges . He said he plans to announce his choice Jan. 9 at the U.S. Army All-American Game in San Antonio. George Washington plays La Salle on Saturday for the district title, also known as the city title. Meanwhile, Floyd considers the advice of former George Washington and Temple linebacker Andre Odom. "He said, 'No matter what, always stay humble and hungry,' " Floyd said.
Tagged: Washington, Temple, Army

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