Jeff Driskel named High School Player of the Year

Florida Gators five-star quarterback commitment Jeff Driskel (Oviedo, FL) was officially named the Maxwell Football Club’s 2010 National High School Player of the Year in a release on Tuesday from club president Ron Jaworski.

“I’m excited to receive this honor,” Driskel said in a Maxwell Club release. “It’s a prestigious award and to be named national player of the year is awesome. There are all kinds of people I’d like to thank who have given me help to get here, from my parents, to the coaches I’ve had, to my teachers, and it’s great to know that all of the hard work that I’ve put in throughout my whole high school career has been recognized. But I think I’m most proud of my team. We never had a winning record, or were even close to a winning record before this year, and this team worked hard all summer to achieve a goal we set.”

Driskel, who will be presented with the award at a banquet on March 4, was previously named the FACA District 9 Class 5A Player of the Year and Gatorade Florida Player of the Year after throwing for 1,819 yards and 15 touchdowns while rushing for 1,333 yards and 20 touchdowns in his senior season with Hagerty High School. He also caught two touchdown passes for a total of 138 yards in 2010.

“Jeff’s performance against Lakeland was the greatest single-game performance I have ever seen in my 20-plus years of remembering high school football,” Hagerty head coach Nate Gierke said. “Jeff led our team to the most wins in school history and a playoff appearance in only our fourth year of existence. For what he has done over the past four years, and especially for his performance and what he meant to our success this season, Jeff is the best high school football player I have ever coached or seen in person.”

This marks the second-straight year the award was given to a Gators commitment. Florida freshman defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd was the recipient of the Maxwell Club’s Player of the Year honors for 2009.

Photo Credit: Orlando Sentinel