RIVIERA BEACH – Fradley Joseph has always wanted to stay close to home for his college years.
The recent Suncoast High School graduate got his wish a few months ago, when he decided to accept a preferred walk-on offer to UCF.
Although he never made it public, Joseph revealed to New Era Prep that his final college decision was made back in March.
“Gotta move in silence,” the 6-foot-2, 205 pound hybrid defensive end/linebacker said. “I’ve always wanted to go to a Florida school and compete at a higher level. I chose the university that would give me the most competition, while allowing me to not be too far away from family. I want to make it so they could come to my games.”
Joseph’s stellar senior season at Suncoast helped make his UCF situation possible.
In 10 games played, Joseph had 55 tackles (3 TFL’s), 11 sacks, 2 pass breakups, 2 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries (both for touchdowns), and 2 safeties. His best game came in Week 2’s 16-13 home loss to Royal Palm Beach, when he recorded 7 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and 2 quarterback hits.
“I feel like the game went great for me because coming in, I was already extremely focused due to the loss to Gardens (46-0 defeat) the previous week. I felt like that game really brought my confidence up and set me up for the rest of the season.”
Joseph helped Suncoast overcome a 0-2 start by finishing with a 5-5 record.
“This past season taught me humility and really made me appreciate every opportunity I had to go to the next level,” said Joseph, who finished as our No. 5 DE/LB and No. 99 overall player in Palm Beach County. “It also motivates me daily, just remembering how many of my teammates didn’t get this opportunity. So I have to play with a chip on my shoulder now.”
Joseph was complimentary of Suncoast head coach Jimmy Clark, who was instrumental in the high school graduate’s next move.
“Coach Clark was one of the best coaches I had,” Joseph said. “He always asked for input from the team before he made a big decision. His actions really proved to me that this meant more to him than just football. He personally wanted to see each of us succeed and was always ready to support us if we needed it.”
Joseph, who graduated from Suncoast in a virtual setting on June 4, will be leaving for UCF later this month. He reflected on how both the coronavirus pandemic and the current racial protests/riots have shaped his thinking.
“The pandemic has forced me to realize nothing is guaranteed, and to appreciate the time I get to spend with friends and family,” Joseph said. “The race protests and riots have made me remember how dangerous it is to be a black man in America, but also makes me believe change is possible. It’s nice for me to see everyone from different backgrounds coming together to fight against police brutality.”
