'This is my dream': Former Lakeland football player Latrell Jean dominates at FAU
Nothing was different for former Lakeland High School defensive end and current Florida Atlantic University defensive end Latrell Jean ahead of an Oct. 27 game vs. Charlotte.
Jean just practiced during the week before he got his treatment for an hour or so, went home, watched some game film and capped off his days with homework. Meetings and a walkthrough were later in the week. By game time, he was locked in and ready for action. In the end, he recorded five total tackles, including two solo, helping FAU to a 38-16 drubbing over Charlotte, and assisting the team to a 4-4 record.
His best play was when he shot through a gap and recorded a sack thanks to the coaching staff calling a blitz, which happened near the end of the third quarter.
"It feels good. This is my dream to play college football ― Division I college football at that — so the fact that I'm living through that (and) living my dream, I'm blessed with the opportunity," Jean said. "I know everybody doesn't get to do this. I'm blessed to do what I do. Do what I love."
Jean played as a Dreadnaught in the late 2010s, making the all-county team his senior year (2018) thanks to 55 tackles, 11 sacks and five pass deflections.
While he was a very good player in high school, he wanted to get even better on the next level. Since he's been in college, he regularly trains at Bay Area L.A.B. in Tampa with the same trainer he's known since high school. It is in these sessions where he really hones in on technique, pass rushing and run blocking. He does the same thing with his defensive line coaches.
"(I) lock ... in the technique with details, learning what I need to do within the defense and know everybody else's job, doing what I need to do, or put one of my teammates in position to make plays," Jean said.
Jean: Jean finds home in middle of Lakeland's defense
Fort Meade: Fort Meade football boasts talent at all levels ahead of playoffs
He's also taking notes in film session in an effort to master what's on the field.
When it's time to compete in the game, folks will see Jean in a lot of four-down fronts. He's specifically in a three technique in a four-down defense. When he's pass rushing against guards, he's noticeably quicker than the guards trying to block him.
To the seminal defense tackle, the training has been invaluable.
"...It cleaned up my technique," he said. "The pass rushing I work on in the off-season, I see that ... in the game. The run blocking I worked with my trainer, I also see that turning over into the game. ..."
His routines and repetitions, though, stemmed well before his Lakeland days. Jean has been surrounded by a football family on his mom and his dad's sides, as they all played at Lakeland High School ― the 2022 state football champions. His cousin, Jamar Taylor who played running back at Lakeland and helped the program win three consecutive titles, played at Alabama before going to USF. Taylor recently died from a brain aneurysm.
This untimely death is the impetus to keep Jean going and stay consistent with his football routines.
"He's one of the reasons why I wanted to keep going in ball. He saw something in me before I did," Jean said. "He told me when I was a kid, 'I'm going to be in the NFL one day. I know you're going to be there,' so he always believed in me. And I'll always remember that. ... That keeps me going."
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Lakeland's Latrell Jean can't be stopped at FAU
