Florida Beach Bowl: 35 Florida Natives On Johnson C. Smith, Fort Valley State Rosters
Florida natives will be featured on the rosters of Johnson C. Smith (7-3) and Fort Valley State (7-3) in the Inaugural Florida Beach Bowl. Currently, there are 35 football players from Florida, with the Golden Bulls having 15 student-athletes and the Wildcats having 20 players. One of the most interesting aspects is the chance for family members to reconnect with the young men by attending and watching them play this historic HBCU postseason match - something that evaded numerous families for a long time.
Of the 15 players from Florida for Johnson C. Smith, eight are critical players from Florida, and seven are redshirt freshmen. Shawn Evans and middle linebacker Ja'Qurius Smith are receiving notice from professional scouts.
Florida Beach Bowl: JSCU Golden Bulls vs. FVSU Wildcats
Evans is tall, measures 6-3, and weighs 330 pounds. He is the starting right guard for Smith's team and went to Dr. Phillips school in Orlando. According to his coach, Evans is an offensive lineman with a playing style akin to a "Road-Grater type," being skilled enough to excel in outside zone schemes while being adaptable to the perimeter for screen plays.
Ja'Qurius Smith is a former student of Lakeland High School in Lakeland, Florida. He currently holds the starting middle linebacker position for the Golden Bulls, leading the top-ranked defense in NCAA Division II. Initially, he began his collegiate journey at Purdue University and later Campbell University before finding the ideal fit at JCSU.
Other Floridians on the Golden Bulls Roster:
- CB Trey Bass is a sophomore starter from Seabreeze High School in Daytona Beach.
- DT Steny Joseph is also a sophomore starting on the defensive line. He attended North Miami Beach High School.
- Wide receivers Tyrek Williams and David Hamilton are from Terry Parker High School in Jacksonville. Both are long, fast, and versatile playmakers.
- WR/KR Blak McCullough #17 is a native of Kissimmee and attended Osceola High School. This versatile Wide Receiver and Kick Returner transferred to Johnson C. Smith from Division II powerhouse Lenior-Rhyne University.
- Long snapper James Lyons graduated from Seabreeze High School in Daytona Beach. He is consistent and an outstanding player on our Punt and Field Goal units, one of the CIAA's top performers.
- LB Chris Jackson is from Mosely High School in Panama City. Chris is a fast, hard-hitting defender who participates on every special team's play and serves as Jack Smith's backup in the linebacking corps.
There are 20 Florida players on the Fort Valley State University roster. Kelvin Durham, the starting quarterback, hails from Homestead, Florida, and is an alum of South Dade High School. In his 18 games played with the Wildcats, Durham has completed 268 passes, amassing 3,659 yards, 31 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions.
Kelvin Durham, QB - Homestead, FL, South Dade HS; Credit: Fort Valley State Athletics
Floridians on the Wildcats Roster:
- Kelvin Durham, QB - Homestead, FL, South Dade HS
- Kentrelle Williams, RB - Jacksonville, FL, Ed White HS
- Fralon Warren Jr, R - Miami, FL, South Dade HS
- Kentrell Lawson, LB- Marianna, FL, Amos P. Godby
- Jaylen Brown, LB - Lake City, FL, Columbia HS
- Adeon Farmer, DL Lake City, FL, Columbia, HS
- Gentry Sparks, TE - Tallahassee, FL, Rickards HS
- Christian Miller, CB - Fort Lauderdale, FL, Hilton Head S
- Lataj Wright, CB - West Palm Beach, FL, Langston Hughes HS
- Malik Harp, LB - Orlando, FL, Ocoee HS
- Mychal Metcalfe, DB - Jacksonville, FL
- Omarion LaRoach, DE - Tallahassee, FL, Lincoln HS
- Miron Billings, CB - Jacksonville, FL, Ed White HS
- Terrance Irons, DT - Fort Myers, FL
- Zach Jean-Louis, OL - Fort Myers, FL, Lehigh Senior HS
- KJ Colston, OL - Tallahassee, FL
- Jalen Jordan, DB - Miami, FL, South Gwinett
The Florida Beach Bowl will kick off at 7:30 PM ET inside of DRV PNK Stadium on Wednesday, Dec. 13. HBCU+ will stream the game LIVE. Purchase tickets online at FloridaBeachBowl.com.