'09 FL RB Greg Pratt

[GoRU]

'09 FL RB Greg Pratt



All-purpose back
Naples (FL) Naples

Ht: 5-foot-8
Wt: 164 lbs
Forty: 4.4 secs
Class: 2009 (High School)

YouTube - Naples RB Greg Pratt & QB Juno...

Offensive Player of the Year: Greg Pratt : Naples High : Naples Daily News

When Naples High ran its scout offense, Greg Pratt usually simulated the opponent's top skill player.

Pratt would line up at running back, wide receiver or even quarterback, a ploy designed to give the Naples defense a feel for what it would see on Friday night.

It makes you wonder who, when opponents prepared for the Naples offense, was asked to simulate Pratt, the most explosive talent in Southwest Florida this season.

Especially in the clutch.

Like a star basketball player who has his number called with the game on the line, Pratt kept providing signature scores as the Golden Eagles (15-0) kept winning.

He did it for the final time in the biggest spot of the season, sprinting 34 yards for a 17-10 victory over St. Augustine in the Class 3A state championship game.

"That's what elite players do," said Naples coach Bill Kramer, who watched Pratt give the Golden Eagles the lead for good with 7:58 to go, and then tack on the 2-point conversion a play later. "They make big things happen when it matters."

Pratt's affinity for dramatic scores helped set him apart this season, one of the reasons he has earned Naples Daily News Offensive Player of the Year honors.

But the 5-foot-9, 165-pound running back was pretty much a steady force, carrying 149 times for 1,449 yards and 16 touchdowns to spearhead the vaunted Naples rushing attack.

Not bad for a youngster who, at the start of his junior season, really didn't know how he'd figure into Kramer's plans. He saw himself as more of a role player.

"I got way more carries than I thought I would," Pratt said, pointing to the team's depth at running back. "I didn't think I'd get more than 80."

Fifteen games later, Naples completed its first unbeaten season in school history, a goal Pratt helped cement with his ability to finish games.

No one could simulate that.

RP Discussion Links:

[GoRU]

PalmettoSports.com | South Carolina Recruiting | Phil Kornblut | GoUpstate.com

USC checked out RB Greg Pratt (5-8 161) of Naples, FL in the spring. They have not offered, but Pratt believes the Gamecocks will keep him on their board. "Coach Reaves was telling how he liked how I play, and he liked what he saw in practice," Pratt said. Pratt rushed for 1500 yards and 18 touchdowns last season. He has offers from Cincinnati, Indiana, NC State, Troy and Pittsburgh. He said Cincinnati is his favorite and he plans to camp there and possibly Pittsburgh.

[lopo89]

Rivals $

6/11

From Flavarsity...Cincinnati and Illinois are his top two. Talks about each of them. Talks about his visits to those schools and his teammate Carlos Hyde and what he expects next season.

Would be interesting if Hyde went to OSU and Pratt went to Illinois...