Jason Candle was walking the halls at Lakewood High School in St. Petersburg, Fla., when he peeked inside the gymnasium and saw a lanky, athletic kid playing basketball.
“That’s the safety who’s not committed!” Candle incredulously asked Lakewood football coach Cory Moore.
So began the recruitment and eventual commitment of Emmanuel McNeil-Warren.
“Once you get to know him and watch his tape from his senior year, the ball production, the ability to create fumbles, interceptions, defensive touchdowns,” Candle said. “He was a highly productive player. Great kid. I thought that once we ingrained him into our culture, he was going to be really successful.