Sports Spotlight: Jaden Floyd

A member the West Orange High football team, Jaden Floyd is hoping to make the most out of his final year of football for the Warriors. The senior defensive back hopes the new season will help him find a home to play Division I football before going on to reach his goal of becoming a movie star.
 

How did you first get into football?

I was very fortunate to have a father who played the game. He graduated from Lakewood High School in St. Petersburg, played football for Florida State and won a national championship in ’93. Then the following year, he got drafted in the first round by the San Francisco 49ers and won a Super Bowl. Watching all of his football highlights and watching what he has been able to accomplish inspired me to get in there and try to reach some accolades of my own.
 

What’s been the biggest change that you’ve seen in yourself since you first started playing?

I’ve played a lot of positions, so I’d just say my hunger and dedication to do anything — for the team. I remember when I first started out playing, I played D-line, tight end, receiver and kicker — they have you all over the place — but it wasn’t until I got into eighth grade I played for the West Orange Wildcats, and I got moved to safety, and that’s when I really liked playing defense.
 

What’s your favorite part about being defensive back? The hardest part?

What I like the most is just having the opportunity to get the ball, because when the ball is in the air, you become the receiver — you can catch the ball and return it to the end zone. I would say the hardest part is probably when you get on the field and you don’t really know what route the receiver is going to run.
 

Is there a highlight moment during your football career that stands out to you?

I have quite a few, but the one that really set it off for me — that made me know that I really wanted to play this game — was when I was in fourth grade, my first year playing football. I was playing with the Wekiva Redskins in the Central Florida Youth Football League, and I was in the second row of the kickoff return, so the ball came to me — I was like, “Oh snap!” — and I just caught it, and I took it to the end zone. That was a really special moment for me — my first-ever touchdown.
 

What has life been like with the delay to the season due to COVID-19?

Life has been crazy, because this is something I’ve looked forward to all 2020, because 2020 has had a bunch of setbacks and a lot of crazy things happening. Through all of the delays and through all that we’ve been through, I’m just glad that we’re all back together and we can do what we love.
 

Was there anything you were hoping to achieve in your final year?

For me personally, I just want to rake in some turnovers, and I also want to put West Orange back on the map.