Getting to Know Wayne Lyons

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Let the Season Begin...

Hard Hitting Action...

Thursday, August 27, 2009 we played North Miami Senior in our Kickoff Classic to start the 2009 Season. We won the game 21-0 as the defense made a dominating showing, scoring 18 points. I started the scoring with a safety as I blew up a screen play in the endzone. On another screen play attempted by NMS, I hit the receiver so hard his helmet flew 5 yards down the field. I finished the game with 5 tackles. Junior LB Conard Johnson returned a interception 45 yards for a TD. Junior CB Allen Ramsey capped off another scoring on defense with a interception run back from 105 yards. We had another safety early in the third quarter. The offense finish the scoring with a 4th quarter field goal.

Lyons committed to being #1 on and off the field...

As part of his high technology curriculum at Dillard High, Wayne Lyons has constructed and written the program for three robots. Of particular interest to Lyons, a 4.8235 GPA honors student who will enter his junior season ranked No. 1 in his class, was how quickly a robot responds to its sensory system. Click on link for complete article on Miami Herald.com http://www.miamiherald.com/1199/story/1191587.html

College Football Camps....

This summer was quite busy for me. In addition to attending various camps at Under Armour, NUC, FBU, etc... I also went camping on several college campuses. I attended camps at UM, Florida and ND in the month of June. I had a great showing at all three camps. I was blessed with the opportunity to workout with the coaches of each school. Here is a brief recap of the camps:

• I attended Miami's one-day camp on Sunday, June 14, 2009. Worked out as a DB with Coach McGriff. I performed well in 1-on-1 and position drills. Made a couple of interceptions. There was great competition there so it made for a great outing. My performance earn me an verbal offer at the end of the day. Coaches were also impressed with my game film that they had viewed the day before my arrival for camp.

• Monday, June 15, 2009 I traveled to Gainesville to attend UF's one-day camp.During testing I ran my fastest 40 time of a 4.48. I worked out with Coach Heater and a few other top prospects on position drills and 1-on-1s. I performed really well and earned an verbal offer prior to heading back to Fort Lauderdale. The coaches were saying that they can't believe I have 2 more years of high school left.

• I flew out to South Bend, Indiana on Sunday June 28, 2009 to participate in their 3 day camp and unofficial visit which included a campus tour. I met several players as well. During the camp, I worked out at both DB and WR. Coach Weiss and Coach Ianello were both soliciting my services on both sides of the ball. At DB I mainly worked out with Coach Brown. I performed extremely well all three days, making big play after big play. It was awesome!!! Prior to leaving, I met with Coach Weiss in his office and he informed me that I will be receiving a written scholarship offer September 1.

Leadership Training Camp.....SFLTC

This summer I attended the South Florida Leadership Training Camp, which was mandatory for being Class President. Although I missed a week of football I must admit I really enjoyed the Leadership Training Camp. I met a lot of new friends, it was great. The camp was a week long filled with team-building and leadership skills activities. Many of the participants were really shocked to find out that I was not only class President but also ranked #1 in the class and the leading tackler on my football team. They were very encouraging and wished me luck for maintaining the #1 spot and doing well on the football field. I left the camp feeling more determined to work hard and do my best for the remainder of my high school years.

Reflections of Spring Football 2009

In reflecting on the Spring season this year, I must say that it was an enjoyable one. Under the new leadership of Coach Manny Martin, I learned a lot switching from linebacker to safety. Coach Martin's defensive scheme allows me to float back and forth between the two positions.

During the Blue-Gray intersquad game, starting at Free Safety, I finished with 2 interceptions - one for a touchdown, a fumble recovery and 7 tackles.

In the Spring Game against Miami Norland, I lead the team in tackles with 9 total, 6 solo and a blocked field goal. Although I did okay in the Spring, I still have a lot of work to do over the summer to get prepared for my Junior Year Campaign.

Wayne Lyons - Defensive MVP (10th Grade) - NUC Miami

Making the Grade: "Lyons gets an A" at FBU

Football University The Campus Buzz

Football University April 24, 2009

Lyons Gets an A at FBU For Wayne Lyons, it all adds up - and he probably can show you the math formula to prove the point. A star football player on the field, the young man who won the Maxwell Award at the recent Football University in Miami is a star off the field too. Lyons is a remarkable young man who works hard and excels at seemingly everything. And the fact that his favorite classes are robotics and calculus only underscore the fact that he is a special talent in so many ways. "I study a lot and make sure I keep a balance between studying and training while at the same time having fun in my life," Lyons said. "I'm in pursuit of becoming the valedictorian of my graduation class. Currently, I am number two with a grade point average of 4.6897. By the end of the school year, I should be in position to take over the number one spot." Being number one seems to come naturally to Lyons, a 10th grader who became the first underclassman to win the Maxwell Award at Football University this year. He's a talented player with speed to burn, and he can play multiple positions on offense or defense. Pure and simple, he's a playmaker. "Wayne is a student of the game-he is able to anticipate the moves a running back will make and will hit them with bad intentions. He is skinny right now but will add lots of good weight as he gets older," said FBU instructor John Fontes, a former coach with the Detroit Lions. "Wayne is a bright young man who wants to graduate valedictorian as much as garnering a D-1 scholarship. He can do both." Doing one is a tall order, but when was the last time you heard of a major college recruit also fighting for top academic honors? This might just well be the case for Lyons. He participated in the National Underclassmen Combine (NUC) in Miami on February 21st . He made plays there too and was selected Defensive Skills MVP. He tallied great stats, having two interceptions during one-on-one and 7-on-7 play. Oh yes, and did we mention that he is sophomore class president? "Wayne is that special player whom you admire and respect," said Bill Renner, director of football with FBU. "He is a very talented player who produces results on the field, but you get to know him and realize that he is just as special off the field. He is quite a remarkable young man." Others agreed. "Wayne has got that special ability to make plays," said former NFL defensive back Bo Orlando. "He combines a terriffic work ethic with all the right tools and a great mind. Wayne has a lot of potential on the field." When he's not on the field, in the weight room, creating robots or putting his calculator to work, Lyons can be seen running track or doing volunteer work. Then, there is recruiting, which is bound to heat up for this rising star. Already, PAC-10 powerhouse Stanford is showing interest in the Florida star. His Football University experience is going to help take him to the next level. "My experience there was a great one as I learned a lot. The main things I learned was to always show great effort and while doing all of the drills to stay low and show great explosion and to always come downhill," said Lyons about attending Football University. "I really learned a lot from Coach Levon Kirkland and Coach John Fontes and look forward to working with them again at the Top Gun Showcase." The Top Gun Football Showcase highlights the best players in the nation and is hosted by Athletic Republic at their plush facility in Paisley, Florida. To learn more about Top Gun or how to nominate yourself to attend Football University, please check out Football University's website for more details!

A Family Affair

Congratulations to my sister, Danielle for being named Miss Tea Rose 1st Runner-Up.

She also received an award for having the most community service hours, 1,318. Actually, I believe she may be up to 1,400 by now. She really enjoys volunteering her time. That volunteering spirit comes from our mother as she has always told us that "it doesn't matter how much knowledge you have, how much money you make or in my case how athletic I am, if people don't know how much you CARE!"

She constantly reminds us to give back to the community. Thats why I too am very active in the community and give of my time to mentor young boys and stress the importance of getting an education.

Off-Season Activities - Track Season

Running a season best of 15.4 in the 110M Hurdles, I qualified for the Regional Track Meet to be held in Coral Springs, Florida on Thursday, April 30, 2009. Although the main purpose of me running track was for conditioning and to improve my speed, running for the first time proved to be quite successful. I need to cut down the time to under 15 seconds to qualify for the State Track Meet. I am quite happy with my performance for the year and look forward to being even better next year. More photos coming soon...

See what Former NFL Assistant Coach John Fontes had to say about Wayne's Athletic Abilities

"Wayne is a student of the game-he is able to anticipate the moves a running back will make and will hit them with bad intentions," Fontes said. "He has room to grow and will add lots of good weight as he gets older. Wayne is a bright young man who wants to graduate valedictorian as much as garnering a D-1 scholarship. He can do both."See the entire article below:

All the News U Need to Know April 10, 2009

Lyons Roars in Miami Miami is one of the hottest spots in the country for prep football. When Football University came to town a couple weeks ago, it should be no surprise that the talent level was high. Former NFL assistant coach John Fontes, along with a staff of former NFL players and coaches, selected Wayne Lyons of Dillard High School as the Maxwell Award winner when Football University came to Braddock High School in Miami. Affectionately called the "Mini-Maxwell," the award is given to the athlete who demonstrates top technical performance during the three-day, invitation-only national camp. Wayne has been described as a versatile athlete who covers the field well. He lived up to that billing. Lyons is the first underclassmen to win the Maxwell Award at a Football University experience this year. Lyons attended the three-day training experience on Friday, March 27th thru Sunday, March 29th. Coach Fontes brings years of NFL pedigree in his assessment of Lyons. "Wayne is a student of the game-he is able to anticipate the moves a running back will make and will hit them with bad intentions," Fontes said. "He has room to grow and will add lots of good weight as he gets older. Wayne is a bright young man who wants to graduate valedictorian as much as garnering a D-1 scholarship. He can do both." Lyons hopes to be valedictorian of his class and is an outstanding student, in the classroom and of the game of football. Lyons played in the secondary this past season for Dillard but his blend of speed and explosiveness coupled with good instinct will most likely see him move to linebacker. He accumulated over 95 tackles on the year in only his sophomore season. To learn more about the Maxwell Awards, click here!

FBU Maxwell Award Interview

Being Interviewed after winning the Maxwell Award was great. At the time of the interview, It still hadn't really hit me that I had actually won. I couldn't believe that I was selected as an underclassmen. Although I had a great camp, learned a lot of different techniques and skills, I just thought that the award was going to go to an offensive player. Wow! I won the same award as the college equivalent that Tim Tebow of the Florida Gators won.How amazing!