Any long term readers remember Cecil Cherry, the LB from Florida who was the ringleader of Charlie Strong's highly touted "Florida Five" group of recruits?

His name just popped up in the Phoenix newspaper's sports page. I had pretty much forgotten about him, it had been so long ago. He was in the 2015 class with Malik Jefferson, Connor Williams, Charles Omenihu, Breckyn Hager, Kris Boyd, Holton Hill, DeShon Elliot, John Burt, Pat Vahe, Kirk Johnson etc.

He was really talking it up about how the Florida Boys were going to take over and instill needed "toughness" in the Texas program but he only lasted three August practices before quitting. His dad said it was because the scheme wasn't right for him, and also that he was assigned # 52 instead of the promised # 3. (Only one of the five, Davante Adams, played for Texas. John Burt was also from Florida but not part of the Group of Five)

I remember Cecil went to South Florida but lost track of him after that. The article says he left USF for a Mississippi Junior College, then Grambling, then UT-Martin, then knocked around the pros and semi-pros for a couple years.

He was working at a Florida funeral home when the Phoenix Rattlers, a member of the Indoor Football League, called and he starred in the game last week, hence the article I saw. Kind of brought back the memories of the early Charlie Strong days.

Here's an article from ESPN from when he left Texas:

Cecil Cherry decides to transfer from Texas after three practices

And here's today's article on Cecil living the dream here in Phoenix, starring for the Rattlers:

Cecil 'Scary' Cherry brings NFL lineage to Arizona Rattlers, makes sudden impact on defense