Q&A with Land O’ Lakes quarterback Ethan Forrester Ethan Forrester took over as the starting quarterback at Land O’Lakes High as a freshman in 2017 shortly after transferring from Tampa Catholic. He has since established himself as one of the top dual-threat quarterbacks in the Tampa region. BY DAN GUTTENPLAN
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s a junior last fall, Forrester accumulated 1,429 passing yards,
12 passing touchdowns and only three interceptions. Forrester also gets it done in the classroom, where he maintains a 3.5 GPA. At 6-foot-2 and 215 pounds, the rising senior has the size to play at the next level. FNF Tampa Bay recently caught up with Forrester for a Q&A.
How did you get introduced to the game of football? “I started playing flag football around 4 years old. I started playing tackle around 5. I’ve been playing ever since.”
Is playing high school football part of your family’s tradition? “No one in my family besides my dad played in high school. My dad got me into it when I was young. He played center and linebacker at Tampa Catholic for three seasons and transferred to Chamberlain for his senior year.”
Have you always played quarterback, or did you start at another position? “I started playing quarterback in my second year of football.”
Did it come pretty naturally to you? “I was always a bigger kid. I was better than most of the other quarterbacks pretty early on. I was more developed. I always knew I’d be able to play since I was little.”
Were you also good at other sports? “I played basketball growing up. I also played tee-ball when I was really little, but I missed all of the games to play football.”
Why did you decide to transfer to Land O’Lakes? “I played for the Tampa Catholic JV team my freshman year. I felt that I didn’t fit at that school. I left there halfway through my freshman year and went to Land O’Lakes. I’ve started ever since I got here in the spring of my freshman year.”
What has the recruiting process been like for you? “It’s been a little slow. My sophomore year wasn’t the best year. I picked it up a lot during my junior year.”
What did you improve? “My throwing motion and how I go through reads on the field. The speed of the game has slowed down.”
What other quarterback would you compare yourself to? “I’ve always idolized Tim Tebow. We have a lot in common in terms of how we can run downfield. Neither of us is trying to get around the edge. We don’t have as much in common with the throwing motion.”
‘THIS IS HIS TEAM’ LAND O’LAKES WENT
7-3 last fall despite having several key players miss time due to injuries. Despite the injuries to his supporting cast, Forrester led Pasco County in passing yardage. “He can run the ball, he’s a big, physical kid. We’ve got some things planned with him offensively this year,” Land O’Lakes head coach Chad Walker said. “This is his team, he’s going to take the reins, and all of our trust is in that kid to do the right thing.”
FORRESTER’S FAVORITES PRO TEAM: New England
Patriots
PRO PLAYER: Tom Brady ROUTE: “I love throwing 10-
yard outs and corner balls. I also like to throw Cover 2 hole shots.”
What are your goals for your senior season? “I want our team to move into the playoffs and win the district. I felt like last year, we were good enough to make it to the playoffs, but we fell short due to the new points system. This year, we want to win districts and play in the playoffs.” Purchase a print copy of this magazine at fnfmagazine.com/buy
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