DeLAND, Fla. – For Wyatt Darlington, it didn’t take long to feel like one of the guys on the DeLand High School football team. The senior moved here from Alabama prior to the 2022 school year.
“Some of the guys are my best friends; I’ll never trade them for the world,” Darlington told News 6. “It means everything for them to do that. It’s not easy to just welcome somebody.”
Darlington, a running back and tight end, helped the DeLand Bulldogs to a spot in the state football semifinals this past season. During his junior year, he played through a serious knee injury.
“It hasn’t been easy, it’s been tough. A lot of pain and stuff like that,” Darlington reflected. “But the guys on the team supported me throughout all of it, and I believed that I could do it. It’s been a blessing to be able to be back.”
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If the last name “Darlington” rings a bell, it’s because Wyatt is the latest in a long line of brothers to play for their dad, legendary high school coach Rick Darlington. The former Apopka coach just wrapped up his second season at DeLand.
“It’s awesome, I love it,” Wyatt Darlington said. “Obviously, I saw all of my brothers doing it growing up, so I expected to do it. It’s been everything I could dream of.”
Darlington has committed to play collegiately at Tennessee Tech. It’ll be an adjustment, but the warm welcome from DeLand should give Darlington plenty of confidence.
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