BOYNTON BEACH – From the halls of Somerset Academy Canyons to a walk-on hopeful at Florida Atlantic University, AJ Bates has a huge upside and potential, along with his will to win.
The outgoing high school senior was able to garner attention from smaller elite college football programs such as Ave Maria, St. Vincent, Florida Tech, Lagrange, Webber, St. Thomas, and Keiser.
The last potential college football “interview” for Bates – as well as a slew of other South Florida high school football players and college football hopefuls – was the annual Orange Bowl High School Football Showcase, which took place on Feb. 29.
The purpose of this year’s Orange Bowl Showcase was to provide an opportunity for young student-athletes to use their football and academic skills to attend college and ultimately earn a degree. Bates was able to take full advantage of his opportunity by posting numbers that could give him an opportunity to earn a roster spot at FAU under head coach Willie Taggart.
Here are the Orange Bowl Showcase results for Bates:
•40-yard dash – 4.8 seconds
•20-yard shuttle – 4.3 seconds
•Vertical leap – 32 inches
•Bench at 225 lbs. – 16 reps
Being academically fit is also a skill that Bates has garnered with him being accepted to FAU. He has earned a host of academic accomplishments, including the following:
•3.4 GPA
•Distinguished Scholar Award
•Honor Roll
•Delta Sigma Theta scholarship winner
•International Baccalaureate student
Bates would comment on his decision to attend FAU.
“It’s a great atmosphere. The school fits me academically and athletically,” he said. said “FAU is known for having some top level running backs and great people. I couldn’t pass up on the opportunity to play against other top level players to get better and push towards trying to be great.”
Bates isn’t one to shy away from competition. As a matter of fact, he embraces the idea fully.
“The competition is huge, and everybody is trying to get to the bag,” he said. “We got to do what we got to do.”
Embracing competition has fueled the future walk-on in his lifelong mission to play the highest level of college football by any means necessary.
