NFL cornerback Canady recognized at Varina
Maurice Canady, a cornerback in the NFL, has been named to the Varina High School athletics wall of fame.
Canady, 26, signed with the Dallas Cowboys this year but chose to sit out the 2020 season because of the pandemic.
At Varina, he was a dynamic wide receiver and quarterback. He was named All-Metro after his senior season in 2011 when he threw for 812 yards and 13 touchdowns and rushed for 1,005 yards and 14 more touchdowns. He was named Capital District player of the year that season.
He committed to Virginia, where he started 35 career games and was named secondteam all-ACC in 2014.
The Baltimore Ravens took him in the sixth round of the 2016 draft. He played four seasons in Baltimore, but three of them were disrupted by injuries. He secured his first interception in the NFL last season, but the Ravens cut him, and he finished the year with the New York Jets.
Also named to the Varina wall of fame were: JeffAdams, a volleyball player from the Class of 2000; Sedden“William” Canfield, a football, baseball and track athlete from the Class of 1964;
Raneka Dunaway, a basketball player from the Class of 2011;
Marell Evans, a football player from the Class of 2007; Leonard Mitchell, a football player from the Class of 1991; and Tim Rankin, a baseball and football player from the Class of 1970.
Dinwiddie’s Parham named All-American
Dinwiddie senior football player and wrestler ChrisParham was named a Semper Fidelis AllAmerican by the United States Marine Corps, which chose 96 students nationwide for the honor. Selectees are chosen for their exceptional moral character, academic performance and noteworthy athletic ability.
Parham has a 4.2 grade-point average. He was named all-region at linebacker last season, and he wrestled the past three years. Though he hasn’t picked a college, he plans to major in computer science.
Glen Allen’s Johnson commits toVMI
Glen Allen outside linebacker and defensive end Jason Johnson announced this week that he will play football at Virginia Military Institute.
Johnson attended Deep Run for his freshman and sophomore years to participate in the school’s ROTC program. He then played his junior year at Glen Allen, amassing 50 tackles and eight sacks.
“From the day he stepped foot with the guys he was just work and trying to make everybody better,” Jaguars coach Perry Jones said. A lot of the kids looked up to him, and he just set the example of the program I was trying to build at Glen Allen.”
Johnson’s athleticism lends itself to the outside linebacker position at the next level, Jones said. Johnson is physical enough to play on the line as a pass rusher and athletic enough to bump outside and cover slot receivers.
Johnson’s father was in the military, so he’s familiar with that lifestyle, Jones said. Jones is familiar with VMI coach ScottWachenheim, who was the offensive line coach atUVA while Jones played running back for the Cavaliers.
College destination
♦ Matoaca senior catcher/infielder Tanner Clements will play baseball at Virginia Wesleyan.
— Eric Kolenich, Zach Joachim, Tim Pearrell