Devin Leacock DT '18

[Mama_Bull]

SPRING ALL-AREA: Boys Weightlifting

SunCoast Sports Now / June 19, 2017

By Chuck Ballaro, Sun Correspondent

DEVIN LEACOCK, PORT CHARLOTTE

PORT CHARLOTTE — Not many people can win a state championship, tie a state record and still leave feeling a little unsatisfied, as if they didn’t accomplish all they set out to do.

Port Charlotte High School boys weightlifter Devin Leacock is among them. The junior cruised to a state championship in the heavyweight class and tied the state record at regionals with a combined 820 pounds.

Leacock topped it off at the Class 2A state meet in Deland by winning with a combined 800 pounds (with 435 pounds in the bench). For his effort, Leacock has been chosen The Sun’s Boys Weightlifter of the Year.

“It was something I put my mind to and I did it. It’s a good feeling,” Leacock said. “It’s good to set my goals so high. When I heard I finished first I was bursting. It’s my biggest success.”

However, as wonderful as that moment was, he injured his wrist and missed his final two attempts in the clean and jerk, preventing him from breaking the record set by Cody Hughes of Lakewood Ranch in 2005. Besting the mark Hughes set a dozen years ago was among Leacock’s goals entering this season.

The all-time record for all weights is 830 by Lamar Myles of Lake Region in 2004, which he set at 238 pounds.

It will be that frustration he will take with him as much as the exhilaration of winning at state, and it will drive him to even bigger heights as a senior.

“Of course, I wanted to break the record. I was going for 390 in the clean and I hurt my wrist. I really wanted to get that record,” Leacock said.

It was that drive that not only helped him, but his teammates, which resulted in a sixth-place team finish for an undermanned Pirates squad.

“His work ethic is second to none. He’s extremely focused, prioritizes and leads the weight room,” Port Charlotte coach Jarett Debus said. “We finished well in the state ranks and he really pushed those other kids all season. His leadership ability is something nobody talks about.”

Leacock started weightlifting as a way to keep in shape and get stronger for football, which is his favorite sport, and it was his dedication that allowed him to rise quickly through the ranks.

Last year, as a sophomore, Leacock placed sixth in the state in the 238-pound weight class with a total of 670 pounds. But even that wasn’t enough, as he expected to break into the 700 Club.

He got help from his coaches, redoubled his efforts by going into the weight room at 5:30 a.m. with his teammates and ate the right foods.

“I had to work really hard. I had to improve my technique. Last year, I did a squat jerk, but you get a little more with a split jerk,” Leacock said. “Last year, when I stood on the podium I thought I’d be first this year.”

Leacock gradually worked his way toward the goal, surpassing 700 total pounds and hitting all his numbers when he was expected to. He reached 800 pounds at the District 2A-16 meet before tacking on 20 pounds two weeks later at regionals. Both events were at Charlotte High School.

Leacock said to simply break the record next year isn’t enough. That’s something he wants to attempt at the first meet of the season. He said he wants to put that record so far out of reach that nobody breaks it.

“I want to get a 900 total. I want it to be in my first meet,” he said.

The work also has helped him on the gridiron, where he plays defensive tackle. Leacock already has nine offers from colleges, including Purdue, Appalachian State and South Florida.

https://suncoastsportsnow.com/2017/06/19/spring-all-area-boys-weightlifting/

[Mama_Bull]

[Mama_Bull]

247 now lists him 3* (.8255).

http://247sports.com/Player/Devin-Leacock-46040689/TimelineEvents

 

 

 

[Mama_Bull]

Nice story with a happy ending.

FOOTBALL: Port Charlotte’s Leacock wins age appeal with FHSAA

SunCoast Sports Now / August 5, 2017

By Jordan Kroeger, SunCoast Sprots

 

PORT CHARLOTTE — Port Charlotte’s football family went to bed Wednesday night with an enormous cloud of uncertainty hanging over the program.

 

Defensive tackle Devin Leacock was on the verge of being ruled ineligible for his senior season due to an FHSAA age rule. Leacock turns 19 on Aug. 27, but the state only allows a player to play at that age if he is born on Sept. 1 or after of his senior year.

 

With Leacock missing the deadline by less than a week, he and the Pirates were forced to appeal the rule Thursday morning in Bradenton. Port Charlotte coach Jordan Ingman had been planning for the possibility of not having Leacock for the upcoming season, but believed his star defensive tackle had very valid reason to play in 2017.

 

Leacock was born with a speech impediment that caused him to be held back a year in elementary school. Ingman, along with his coaching staff, Port Charlotte athletic director Bob Bruglio, and Leacock’s family, argued that a disability should not prevent Leacock from playing in his final season like the rest of his peers.

 

The FHSAA saw it that way as well, ruling in Leacock’s favor in a unanimous 5-0 decision.

 

“There were a lot of tears and a lot of excitement,” Ingman said. “We kind of prepared ourselves mentally to not have him so if it happened we wouldn’t be completely shattered, but to have him back is just a phenomenal feeling. The bottom line is, the young man deserves it. The court heard all the facts and all the evidence.

 

“He’s had zero disciplinary action his whole career and that struck a core with them because not only has he been disabled but as he’s been bullied in his elementary and middle school years, he didn’t fight back and never created discipline problems.”

 

Leacock was at practice Thursday afternoon and was nearly at a loss for words. He admitted he was afraid the appeal wouldn’t go in his favor.

 

“I didn’t want to get my hopes up but they said everything was looking pretty good and all that but I just wanted to stay in control (of myself) and stay on the same level. I didn’t want to get too high and then come down,” he said.

 

Instead, Leacock will be riding on a high heading into his final year at Port Charlotte. It was already an eventful week for Leacock before Thursday’s ruling as he verbally committed to the University of South Florida on July 28.

Leacock said he chose South Florida over a bevy of other offers that included Purdue, Southern Miss, Marshall, Massachusetts, Eastern Michigan, Appalachian State, South Dakota and McNeese State.

Ingman said Florida and Ohio State had also expressed interest in Leacock. But being close to home played a big role in Leacock’s decision. Leacock is very close to his 29-year-old sister Tyana, who is paraplegic. The two hold a special bond, evident during last season’s game against Charlotte when Leacockcarried her wheelchair out into the stands to make sure she had a front-row seat to watch him play amongs a crowd of hundreds.

 

Leacock didn’t want to be more than a car ride away from Tyana, even if a bigger offer came about. That’s why he shut his recruitment down.

“We’re very close. It’s better for her because if I ended up out of state it would’ve been harder for her and I to see each other. It’ll be nice to be about an hour away from home as opposed to 15-20 hours away,” Leacock said.

 

South Florida’s coaching staff also felt like a family away from home for Leacock. Defensive tackles coach Sean Cronin recruited him hard and head coach Charlie Strong understood Leacock’s situation all the way down from his sister to the possibility of him not being able to play his senior season.

 

“He took that into consideration … he liked how I played and just wanted me to stay in shape if I wasn’t able play,” Leacock said.

 

Leacock’s commitment to South Florida brings his life full circle and serves as an ultimate victory in his lifelong battle with his speech impediment. He was told in elementary school he would never go to college, but now, he’s going on a full scholarship while getting to play the game he loves.

 

“I just worked really hard. They did say I couldn’t do it so I just worked really hard every day, twice a day just working, working, working and I’m here,” Leacock said.

 

When you speak to him today, you wouldn’t even know Leacock has battled with a disability in his life. Ingman even said he’s now one of the most talkative kids on the team.

 

Leacock has overcome a lot of the odds in his life but he’s shown that hard work pays off. He won the Class 2A state weightlifting title in the unlimited class back in March and was also named The Sun’s Boys Weightlifter of the Year as well as The Sun’s Defensive Player of the Year last football season.

 

“For him to become a full qualifier when you’re told that you’re never going to go to college, I think that’s a special accomplishment and it says a lot about his demeanor and his confidence,” Ingman said. “He’s a pretty tough kid so that’s not really surprising. That’s something that most kids wouldn’t be able to battle through so he’s just a special kid.”

FOOTBALL: Port Charlotte’s Leacock wins age appeal with FHSAA | SUNCOAST SPORTS NOW

[Gatorbull325]

On 7/29/2017 at 9:23 AM, TExpress said:

Looks like the article was wrong. He benches 435 not 535. Still a monster number though! They need to check their math. 535+365=800???

 

Deadrin Senat bench pressed a little over 500 last year as a redshirt junior. This dude is already at 435 as a junior. Just imagine when he hits a college conditioning program. 

[Mama_Bull]

FOOTBALL: Port Charlotte scores 40 unanswered in win over North Port

Port Charlotte lineman Devin Leacock had an impressive night with two sacks, a forced fumble and a tackle for a loss.

https://suncoastsportsnow.com/2017/08/25/football-port-charlotte-scores-40-unanswered-in-win-over-north-port/

[bullsbucsfan426]

On 8/21/2017 at 0:31 AM, Mama_Bull said:

Nice story with a happy ending.

FOOTBALL: Port Charlotte’s Leacock wins age appeal with FHSAA

SunCoast Sports Now / August 5, 2017

By Jordan Kroeger, SunCoast Sprots

 

PORT CHARLOTTE — Port Charlotte’s football family went to bed Wednesday night with an enormous cloud of uncertainty hanging over the program.

 

Defensive tackle Devin Leacock was on the verge of being ruled ineligible for his senior season due to an FHSAA age rule. Leacock turns 19 on Aug. 27, but the state only allows a player to play at that age if he is born on Sept. 1 or after of his senior year.

 

With Leacock missing the deadline by less than a week, he and the Pirates were forced to appeal the rule Thursday morning in Bradenton. Port Charlotte coach Jordan Ingman had been planning for the possibility of not having Leacock for the upcoming season, but believed his star defensive tackle had very valid reason to play in 2017.

 

Leacock was born with a speech impediment that caused him to be held back a year in elementary school. Ingman, along with his coaching staff, Port Charlotte athletic director Bob Bruglio, and Leacock’s family, argued that a disability should not prevent Leacock from playing in his final season like the rest of his peers.

 

The FHSAA saw it that way as well, ruling in Leacock’s favor in a unanimous 5-0 decision.

 

“There were a lot of tears and a lot of excitement,” Ingman said. “We kind of prepared ourselves mentally to not have him so if it happened we wouldn’t be completely shattered, but to have him back is just a phenomenal feeling. The bottom line is, the young man deserves it. The court heard all the facts and all the evidence.

 

“He’s had zero disciplinary action his whole career and that struck a core with them because not only has he been disabled but as he’s been bullied in his elementary and middle school years, he didn’t fight back and never created discipline problems.”

 

Leacock was at practice Thursday afternoon and was nearly at a loss for words. He admitted he was afraid the appeal wouldn’t go in his favor.

 

“I didn’t want to get my hopes up but they said everything was looking pretty good and all that but I just wanted to stay in control (of myself) and stay on the same level. I didn’t want to get too high and then come down,” he said.

 

Instead, Leacock will be riding on a high heading into his final year at Port Charlotte. It was already an eventful week for Leacock before Thursday’s ruling as he verbally committed to the University of South Florida on July 28.

Leacock said he chose South Florida over a bevy of other offers that included Purdue, Southern Miss, Marshall, Massachusetts, Eastern Michigan, Appalachian State, South Dakota and McNeese State.

Ingman said Florida and Ohio State had also expressed interest in Leacock. But being close to home played a big role in Leacock’s decision. Leacock is very close to his 29-year-old sister Tyana, who is paraplegic. The two hold a special bond, evident during last season’s game against Charlotte when Leacockcarried her wheelchair out into the stands to make sure she had a front-row seat to watch him play amongs a crowd of hundreds.

 

Leacock didn’t want to be more than a car ride away from Tyana, even if a bigger offer came about. That’s why he shut his recruitment down.

“We’re very close. It’s better for her because if I ended up out of state it would’ve been harder for her and I to see each other. It’ll be nice to be about an hour away from home as opposed to 15-20 hours away,” Leacock said.

 

South Florida’s coaching staff also felt like a family away from home for Leacock. Defensive tackles coach Sean Cronin recruited him hard and head coach Charlie Strong understood Leacock’s situation all the way down from his sister to the possibility of him not being able to play his senior season.

 

“He took that into consideration … he liked how I played and just wanted me to stay in shape if I wasn’t able play,” Leacock said.

 

Leacock’s commitment to South Florida brings his life full circle and serves as an ultimate victory in his lifelong battle with his speech impediment. He was told in elementary school he would never go to college, but now, he’s going on a full scholarship while getting to play the game he loves.

 

“I just worked really hard. They did say I couldn’t do it so I just worked really hard every day, twice a day just working, working, working and I’m here,” Leacock said.

 

When you speak to him today, you wouldn’t even know Leacock has battled with a disability in his life. Ingman even said he’s now one of the most talkative kids on the team.

 

Leacock has overcome a lot of the odds in his life but he’s shown that hard work pays off. He won the Class 2A state weightlifting title in the unlimited class back in March and was also named The Sun’s Boys Weightlifter of the Year as well as The Sun’s Defensive Player of the Year last football season.

 

“For him to become a full qualifier when you’re told that you’re never going to go to college, I think that’s a special accomplishment and it says a lot about his demeanor and his confidence,” Ingman said. “He’s a pretty tough kid so that’s not really surprising. That’s something that most kids wouldn’t be able to battle through so he’s just a special kid.”

FOOTBALL: Port Charlotte’s Leacock wins age appeal with FHSAA | SUNCOAST SPORTS NOW

Stop making me love this kid. Bullied in school, loves his family, takes care of his sister, is motivated and driven as a leader, overcame a disability...he's a fantastic human being, athlete or not. You look at this kid and you see a future NFL pick-he's too driven and motivated, and he's obviously got the physical attributes to do well. The rest, he will learn. 

[Rex Havoc]

Wow very impressive. You have to respect someone who never gives up and values his family as much as he does. I have a feeling he will do huge things at USF. 

[Mama_Bull]

Corey Bender‏Verified account @Corey_Bender 3h3 hours ago

3-star DT Devin Leacock, a #USF commit, shuts down his recruitment and schedules official visit with @CoachStrong_USF's program.

[bullsbucsfan426]

On 12/9/2017 at 6:50 PM, Mama_Bull said:

Corey Bender‏Verified account @Corey_Bender 3h3 hours ago

 

3-star DT Devin Leacock, a #USF commit, shuts down his recruitment and schedules official visit with @CoachStrong_USF's program.

Right now he's got 4 star athleticism, but he probably has 2 star technique. That's exactly the kind of kid we've recruited over the years. Mark my word this kid is going to blow up once he gets here.