APOPKA, Fla.---
“Let’s go we gotta be great today let’s go,” is something you’ll hear echoing through an Apopka Football practice.
Every player walks under the banner “Prepare for Glory” on their way to practice. At this school winning isn’t everything. It’s the only thing.
“We are going to compete in best on best, goaline, skele, we want to win!” Jeff Rolson says to his team as practice begins.
Rolson is taking over for long time Apopka head coach Rick Darlington this season. Rolson knows the tradition well, he was an assistant under Darlington for all three of their state titles in 2001, 2012, and 2014. As a head coach with Osceola he led the Kowboys to the state finals.
“I love Apopka there’s no where else I’d like to be we’ve got a special group of young men we are going to coach them and love them and hopefully have a great season.”
“Throw your hands here we go,” Rolson says to Jalen Carter a player that should help smooth the transition.
“I’m humble so I don’t really overreact to it,” Carter says about all the recruiting attention he receives.
“He’s an awesome player he has potential to be top one percent kind of guy,” Rolson says.
Carter is the second ranked defensive tackle in the country. He has offers from schools like Alabama, Clemson, Florida but he’s already made his pick.
“When I first went down there it felt like home they treated me like home,” Carter says.
He’s committed to play for Georgia next season, but this year he’s got unfinished business.
“It feels good knowing that you’re here for a reason playing to keep tradition going and stuff it feels good.”
Carter is the next in a long line of great Apopka players. He hopes to follow in the footsteps of Apopka legend and NFL Hall of Famer Warren Sapp.
“He’s done a lot for Apopka throughout his whole career so it really means a lot to me.”
Carter and Sapp have even connected on twitter.
“This one time I posted something on twitter and he retweeted and commented on it. That’s how I got to know him a little bit more.”
It’s his senior season, carter is ready to leave behind his own Blue Darter legacy.
“I want to leave knowing that I was a very good player very humble and I was always good in school.”