CHARLOTTE — Monday’s Big 22 Player to Watch had a late start to football, but it didn’t stop him from finding success.
Providence Day linebacker Tre Geathers is committed to playing for the Florida Gators next season after not starting tackle football until the eighth grade.
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His father, Robert Lee Geathers, Jr., has a nine-year career with the Cincinnati Bengals and did not let his son play tackle football until the 8th grade to protect his son from injuries.
Tre leaned on his friends to help get him up to speed.
“My freshman and sophomore seasons gave me a ton of scout team reps getting to go against those guys like Jordan Shipp and Channing. I mentioned earlier that definitely helped me prepare my to get better for the future so i think without those guys supporting me i wouldn’t be where i am today,” he said.
The learning curve was steep, but it worked out for Geathers.
“That whole ordeal is a testament to what he said, and I feel like it’s proof in the pudding. I feel like now I feel like overcoming that versus anything I face in the future i feel like I can overcome anything after overcoming that,” he said.
Our Big 22 previews continue Tuesday with Stuart Cramer’s Qualtreau Hawkins. They’ll continue every weekday until voting starts for our five finalists on Sept. 4.