The quarterback takes the snap and drops back to pass. He finds an open receiver down field and sets to throw. Yet before getting the throw off, he is tackled and slammed to the ground for a sack. This is not out of the ordinary for the senior defensive end Daviel “Turtle” Eldridge who, at this point, is used to terrorizing opposing quarterbacks. Eldridge has been able to rack up over 150 total tackles over three years on the team, and he has no plan to stop..
Eldridge started playing football at a very young age. He immediately fell in love with it knowing he had a passion for the nature of the game.
“My dad introduced me to football at the age of five, and ever since then I fell in love with it. I liked to hit people,” Eldridge said.
Football is a very serious thing for Eldridge. He wants to be at his best at all times, improving every time he steps onto the grass. Eldridge has surrounded himself with people that push him and motivate him to constantly be at his best.
“My dad, my cousin Kevin and my brother really push me. My mama too because she is always at my games. They will sit me down and tell me what I did wrong, show me what I can do better and motivate me to be my best, ” Eldridge said.
Turtle has been playing football at West all four years, and has been on the varsity team for three of them. He has become a force to be reckoned with for the Titans’ defense. Over his three seasons, he has more than 24 sacks and has led the team in total tackles the last two seasons.
It is safe to say that Eldridge’s ceiling is high and he pushes extra hard to give 110% every time he steps onto the field. He plans on graduating from West in May and hopes to continue playing football after high school. West Forsyth will always be a special place for Eldridge. He stated that he loves the way the team plays and how they have a “we over me” mentality, which allows them to put the team first. As one of the team captains, Eldridge has a responsibility to lead the team and play by example. He has shown that and more and hopes to help lead the team far into the state playoffs.
Fun Facts
Favorite athlete- Aaron Donald
Favorite artist- Rod Wave
Favorite video game- EA Sports College Football 26
Favorite food- Japenese
Hidden talent- Can do a backflip on a trampoline
