EUSTIS, Fla.—The Eustis Panther’s wide receiver Tyree Patterson has been one of the best-kept secrets in Central Florida. His success on the field has led to opportunities that were not possible just a few years ago. He played the game as a kid but stopped playing in middle school. Now in his 10th grade year, Eustis hired a new football coach and Tyree found the love for the game again.

What You Need To Know

  • Tyree Patterson began to play football again in his 10th grade year

  • He also played basketball

  • The new coach convinced him to play football again, something he hadn't done since 7th grade

“I’ve played as a little kid, like 4, but I stopped playing in 7th grade. Everybody was like to try it out again.” said Patterson. “Coach Scott became the new coach at Eustis high school, so that was 10th grade year I came back,” Patterson said.

Patterson grew up playing other sports before going back to football. 

“He was a basketball player his entire career and finally made the jump to football,” said 3rd year head coach Frank Scott. “When I got here, they were a kind of down, they were 1-9, we had to get more athletes on the field and I went to the basketball coach and we have to get these football kids out here and get some better athletes on the field.”

It took some convincing to get him back on the field.

“I kind of went around and begged some kids to come out and give it a try, and he gave it a try, and it seems like it’s working so far,” said Scott.

“All my friends, they played football, so I was like I will go back out there,” said Patterson.

The attempt by Tyree has not only worked on the field but also off it. He started getting scholarship offers as a sophomore, but this spring he decided where he wanted to go. He committed to the University of Florida.

“It’s his dream school,” said Scott. “I was happy for him, especially when he got the offer. I was like, hey man might as well and commit.”

“It was just my relationship with the coaches and how they stayed from the get go,” said Patterson. “I didn’t have offers from high D1 schools. They said I was underrated. I love coach Napier. I like his personality.”

“Have an athlete like that, doesn’t happen often been that type of kid to go to that type of school in a while,” says Scott. “It’s pretty exciting.”

Tyree and his panthers teammates begin their 2022 season at home versus Harmony on August 26.