Spring Tour Stop No. 15: LB commit Greene has lofty goals

Despite being in a relatively small community, Wakulla High School has produced a number of big-time football players through the years, and several of them have made the short trip north to Florida State.

The most famous of those, of course, was former five-star linebacker Nigel Bradham, who now plays for the Philadelphia Eagles. A few years earlier, there was linebacker Sam McGrew; wide receiver Keith Gavin is on the roster right now; and there have been others.

Next up on the list likely will be 2020 linebacker Keyshawn Greene, who committed to the Seminoles last month.

Just like the other Wakulla standouts, Greene grew up a major Florida State fan. But just a couple of years ago, he wasn't even sure how well he would do on the high school level -- let alone consider earning a scholarship offer from the Seminoles.

"It was a rough start for me, especially as a freshman at Wakulla," Greene said. "Learning the plays, blitzes -- that was the worst year for me. I wasn't sure if I could make it anymore. But I had to push myself and change my attitude, mindset and work habits."

Midway through that freshman year, Greene started to feel more comfortable with his assignments, and that immediately was evident in his play on the field.

Now, the 6-foot-2, 208-pounder is emerging as one of the top linebackers in the country. Even though he hasn't made a splash yet in the national recruiting rankings, all eyes are on Greene when Wakulla takes the field.

"I love to hit. Always have," he said. "When I was in the seventh grade, when I first started playing football, that's one of the things that made me fall in love with football. But also how much you can learn to improve in a lot of areas pushed me. I actually remember one of my first big hits was against [Tallahassee] Rickards when I knocked the helmet off of a player. It felt good, but I didn't even realize I hit him that hard."

While delivering big hits might be his favorite aspect of the game, Greene also excels as a pass-rusher and when covering running backs out of the backfield. He knows he still has plenty to improve on, and he has a pretty good role model to follow in former War Eagle and Seminole Nigel Bradham.

"Nigel was such a strong inspiration for me and a lot of guys from Wakulla," Greene said. "That motivated me with Nigel; it pushed me that I want to be better than him. I know that's a big goal, but he's had a strong effect on me. With Wakulla, this is a strong family and our coaches are so close with the team. So they are always pushing you to take it to another level."