These Days, Everybody's All-American Just May Be a Haitian
Football-Mad Florida Fills U.S. Gridirons With Kreyol-Speaking Stars
By JOEL MILLMAN
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- Jeff Luc, the son of Haitian immigrants and middle linebacker for the Treasure Coast Titans high-school football team here, recalls a game two years ago against Delray Beach, when he directed another Haitian teammate to stop an opponent slipping into his zone on a passing play.
"Men li la! Men li la!" he shouted in Kreyol, Haitian patois for "there he is." The two players were looking to confuse their opponent by using imported slang from Haiti. But to their amazement, the targeted receiver taunted them right back: "Mwen la! Mwen la!" "Here I am!"
Haitians on the Gridiron
Today, the 240-pound Mr. Luc is the nation's top high-school linebacker, according to ratings compiler Rivals.com. He has drawn the interest of the nation's No. 1 ranked college team, the University of Florida, which would almost certainly provide an all-expenses scholarship to join the program. Traditional powerhouses such as the University of Southern California, Michigan, Alabama, Ohio State and dozens more are also hoping he joins their teams, his coaches say. Whichever NCAA program he chooses, the 17-year-old will join a swelling vanguard of gridiron talent from Haiti.
