Talk about making an impact in your first high school football game in America. Dejuan Martin took the opening handoff and went 75-yards for the touchdown and the young man wasn’t done. He caught one pass in the game and made the most of it. He went 77-yards for the score. He finished the night with over 200 total yards of offense.
In his first two games he has rushed for 186 yards on six carries and seven touchdowns. He has one catch for 77 yards and a score. “We are trying to put him all over the place and create mismatches,” said head football coach Adam Collachi.
Dejuan is from Scarborough and played for Toronto Thunder GTA. In eight games he had 31 catches for 749 yards and 12 touchdowns. He rushed for 273 yards and three touchdowns. On special teams he had 416 total yards and three touchdowns.
Coaches Q&A with Adam Collachi:
Height: 5-10
Weight: 165
40 Yard Dash: 4.38
Class of: 2014
Position(s): WR/DB
Jersey: # 11
What are his strengths?
“His speed and overall quickness is his biggest asset. His speed is something we can’t teach. But our job is to put him in the best places for us to exploit that speed and really stretch the defense.”
Canada has some different rules than American football. Has he struggled at picking up American football?
“He played Canadian football and playing the version of American football, there are some nuances that he is still trying to pick up on.”
What are they?
“For example, the receivers are allowed to go forward in Canada. He had a difficult time in camp grasping that you can’t be in motion coming forward until the ball is snapped. The d-backs here are more physical than up in Canada.”
What positions does he play?
“He is primarily a wide receiver on offense and defensive back. You will see him in the back field at times. On defense he’s a cover guy. He has a nose for the football. With his speed and quickness he can blanket a receiver pretty good.”
