Football has seemingly always been king in the south. People pack high school stadiums of all sizes to support what may be the biggest show in their respective communities. So many of these players aspire to play at the collegiate and then professional level, but few of them pursue it with the calculated pragmatism and modesty of this sophomore receiver. Meet Seth Rolle.

Seth currently plays in the slot for South Broward High, and his favorite pro receiver should come as no surprise. “TY Hilton” he announces, “he’s from my county, he made it to the big league, and that’s what we’re all trying to do”. When prompted for his county of origin, he proudly claims “Dade. I was born in Liberty City, but I went to school mainly in North Miami”.

Rolle wasn’t the player who just picked up football in high school. The game is practically in his blood, and he started at the age of three. “My older cousin got me playing when I was really young, maybe three years old, I couldn’t play officially until I was four, so I started with the North Dade Bulldogs”.

Seth (far right) picked up football at the age of 3, and started playing organized ball with the North Dade Bulldogs at 4.

He admits that the position of receiver wasn’t always his first choice, “at first, I just wanted to play because my cousin played”. He continues, “I was a little bit scared of contact so whatever they put me with I was ok with (it)”. His love for the game is genuine, so he’s never subscribed to the diva mentality that so many receivers are labeled with. He attributes that mindset, to the wide number of positions he’s played over time. “In other years, I’ve played numerous positions” explains Rolle. “I’ve played quarterback. Playing quarterback, you have to take everything that comes with the team, good, bad, and the ugly, so I’d rather just show you my play than beg for the ball, I’m a real team guy.”

Rolle, the self-proclaimed "team player", opted to play the last few games of his sophomore season playing with the Junior Varsity squad

Sure, the “team guy” line is trumpeted by athletes everywhere, but few have made the sacrifice Seth did in his critical sophomore season at South Broward. As he recognized that his targets would be limited at the varsity level, he voluntarily stepped down to junior varsity to work on his game. “JV was a choice at the end of the year. I thought I’d play with my younger JV brothers, because I know some of them will come up and play with me next year, so we might as well get chemistry, get a bond”

With that new chemistry, Rolle expects to see his opportunities grow. “I will get a lot more touches, with that you’ll be able to see my real skill and my real talent”. Even in mapping what projects to be a big junior year, his team-first mentality shined through, as he sounded excited about contributing on special teams. “I think I’ll be back for kick returns this year, so you’ll see some good stuff out of that too”.

Sly Johnson, the coach Seth hopes to reunite with, also came out of South Florida, and starred at Miami (OH) en route to the NFL.

Obviously, the goal here is to play well enough to earn an athletic scholarship, but his top choice may come as a shock to many. “A lot of people may laugh when I say this, but I would want to play at Miami (OH). Because, the coach that coached me, that’s where he went. He came from Miramar High School, he had bigger offers, but that was the place for him.” That coach was Sly Johnson. The former receiver starred at Miami of Ohio, and enjoyed a brief stint in the NFL, as a speedy undersized receiver. He now runs the Football training academy, Premier Athletes, and Seth credits him for developing his skills early on.

Wherever Seth ends up, his work will start with improving South Broward’s 5-6 overall record from the 2017 season. With the work that he’s put in the last year, you can be sure he’ll be ready to make the big play from the slot or in special teams for the 2018 Bulldogs.