Tyrone McGriff is no stranger to Tallahassee. He attended Florida High, played football at FAMU, and returned to Southwood Post-College in various administrative and coaching roles.
When he accepted the position of head coach at Leon in mid-December, McGriff realized that the Leon County public school sports scene was very different from the one he was part of at Florida High. All five programs compete on the playing field for resources, players, and each other.
“Even though I went to Florida High, it’s not the same culture,” McGriff said. “At Florida High, we have what we have. In Leon County, everyone recruits everyone. It’s neither good nor bad. I just had to adapt to this culture.”
Leon has been one of those programs that has been strongest in the recruitment cycle at Big Bend, as players have historically left to play for other teams in the region. This instability has partially affected the result on the field, as Leon has not set a winning record for six years. As of 2016, the program has gone 8-37.
MORE BIG BEND FOOTBALL
More:This is how the Big Bend football teams feel after the first day of official training
More:Hot Microphone: 8 Key Moments from 4Quarters Online Big Bend Football Media Day
More:10 Big Bend football games you won’t want to miss this fall
When he took on the role, McGriff made the program’s motto “Restore the Roar” to rebuild the program to the power it had in the ’80s and ’90s. From new lighting at the Cox-Saul Fieldhouse to creating a more engaging atmosphere during summer training and drills, it’s the “small victories” that McGriff and his staff strive for every day.
“Establishing a culture of hard work is the goal for us this season,” said McGriff. “Everything is so convenient now. Information is available to us and nobody wants to work to find out anything. People try to get faster, easier, bigger and even easier to win. As a coaching staff and as a team, that’s what we want.” Establish a culture of hard work and dedication.”
New additions
It’s not just the lighting that’s new at Leon’s training facilities, but also the equipment underneath and some of the players who use them. McGriff organized a fundraiser in the spring to add new weightlifting equipment to the football team.
The effort raised $44,000 in new equipment, which was delivered and set up just in time for summer conditioning. McGriff has also taught summer school in Leon, in part to recruit more players for the football team. Senior running back Centel Deshaizer has also joined McGriff on multiple aisles for recruiting trips around the school.
“The first thing people get from Leon is that they can be successful in being part of our program and they can be matched with a winner,” McGriff said during 4QuartersOnline Media Day. “We have small wins every day and celebrating those wins is the first step in getting these guys out of the hallway. We have 2,000 students in Leon. I know 60 of them can play soccer. We just have to find those 60.”
While Leon has played an active role in recruiting new players and prides itself on being a program that does not recruit outside of school boundaries, the Lions have made efforts to promote players who have been involved with the program.
Deshaizer played a big role on offense last season (418 rushing yards, eight TDs) and is expected to play an even bigger role this year alongside playing on the defensive side of the ball. McGriff said that Desaihzer is aware that he will be a player who will not come off the field.
There are a handful of players within the Leon program who are expected to lead this remodeling effort, and part of the effort McGriff is making to give them the attention they deserve. Speaking highly of junior running back/linebacker Dj Hepburn, McGriff said he’ll be a spectator for years to come and could emerge as one of the top talents at Big Bed.
Other players who are part of the varsity team for the first time are beginning to benefit from the new work mentality and are excited for the next step in the program’s expansion.
Junior linebacker Charlie Miller said that since McGriff there has been a much greater focus on detail and the intensity of the workouts have increased. Since participating in the new system, Miller had gained 10 pounds of muscle.
“Not only am I getting taller, but I’m also getting faster and stronger,” Miller said. “I’ve just become a better athlete and a better football player.”
The beginning of something new
Things are starting to change at Leon and the spring game was an example of that. Following that 1-8, the Lions defeated Godby in the spring game in their first action. Although it was only half, Leon has not defeated Godby in any competitive football environment since 2010.
It was something small, but it gave the Lions a sense of confidence they hadn’t felt in a while.
“It’s been a huge confidence boost since we were down 8-1 last season and haven’t beaten Godby in a long time,” said Miller. “We showed in those two games that we have courage and that we can come through. We lost the first game against Rickards but we came back, made some adjustments, paid attention to details and won.”
Leon showed in their spring game that they are a tough and brave team and they aim to continue embracing that identity ahead of their first game of the season against Blanche Ely on August 19. The Lions are focused on hitting these last few weeks to establish a new culture on The Hill.
“Right now I want to build a strong team,” said McGriff. “To win you have to have skill and be tough, and toughness is discipline. You have to keep hitting a wall to prove it and that’s what we want to do.”
Jack Williams covers prep sports for Tallahassee Democrat. Reach out to him via email at jwilliams@tallahassee.com or on Twitter @jackgwilliams.