ORLANDO — Under Armour All-American and four-star linebacker Aaron Chiles is looking to follow in a line of prep stars from Maryland who made an impact on defense for the Florida Gators.
Defensive lineman Derrick Harvey, from Greenbelt, Md., was a former pass rush standout on Florida’s 2006 national championship team.
Joe Haden, from Fort Washington, Md., was an All-American starting cornerback on UF’s 2008 national title team who went on to a successful 12-year NFL career.
From Olney, Md., Chiles played at Our Lady of Good Counsel High School and developed a relationship with another former Florida football defensive standout with Maryland roots.
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Jelani Jenkins, another former Our Lady of Good Counsel linebacker from Rockville, Md., played four seasons at UF under Urban Meyer and Will Muschamp from 2009-12. Drafted in the fourth round of the NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins, Jenkins went on to a four-year NFL career with the Dolphins, Oakland Raiders, Buffalo Bills and Houston Texans.
“I talk to him all the time,” Chiles said. “He’s a good mentor. Seeing guys that come from our area, going in and doing things that he did, it makes it more realistic, more possible.”
Jenkins, 31, returned to his native Maryland from California more than a year ago and has been involved with the Our Lady of Good Counsel program since. Chiles made an immediate impression on Jenkins based not just on his athletic ability, but his loyalty and work ethic.
“He’s not one that looks for what’s flashy, what’s trendy,” Jenkins said. “I see him as somebody who is about his business and about just proving that he is just who he says he is,…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/incoming-florida-freshman-lb-aaron-090107680.html
Author : The Gainesville Sun
Publish date : 2024-01-30 09:01:07
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