South Florida Sun-Sentinel Palm Beach (Sunday)
American Heritage DB Little Jr. accepts invite to 2022 bowl
When American Heritage defensive back Earl Little Jr. received an invitation to play in a prestigious All-American game, he jumped at the opportunity, even though the game is about 20 months away.
The Patriots standout announced Thursday evening that he had accepted an invitation to play in the 2022 All-American Bowl.
“It was a dream come true, to be honest,” Little said. “As a kid, I always wanted to play in either this one or the Under Armour one [after] watching them on TV.”
Little is among the first players to accept an invitation to the 2022 game, which is scheduled for Jan. 8, 2022, at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.
Several other local players are planning to participate in 2021 AllAmerican games. Little’s teammate in the American Heritage secondary, James Williams, is scheduled to play in the 2021 AllAmerican Bowl, as are St. Thomas Aquinas defensive lineman Tyreak Sapp and Chaminade-Madonna linebacker Terrence Lewis.
St. Thomas wide receiver Bralon Brown, Plantation wide receiver Jacolby George and St. Thomas linebacker Jaydon Hood are scheduled to play in the 2021 Under Armour All-America Game in Orlando.
Little was a second-team allcounty selection as a sophomore, notching 37 tackles and four interceptions. The Patriots rising junior standout is rated a four-star prospect by 247Sports, and he is listed as the No. 20 cornerback and No. 155 overall player in the class.
“I just want to maintain and grow,” Little said. “I just want to continue to ball and play how I’ve been playing [and] improve on my game.
Little has 26 scholarship offers from college programs, including some of the most successful teams in the nation. He named Alabama, Florida State, LSU, Miami, Michigan, Oklahoma and Tennessee as his current leading schools.
“They make me feel like a priority,” Little said.
Little is looking for several things from prospective college teams, including potential playing time and a good atmosphere.
“I want to major in sports medicine, so I’m looking into that, a program for that,” he said. “I want to go somewhere that I feel comfortable, somewhere that I can — when it’s not football season — chill around, like not get too bored, and somewhere I can just go in and compete for a starting position.”
Little has plenty of role models to help him during the recruiting process. His father, Earl Little, played defensive back for Miami and spent eight years in the NFL, and his coach, Pat Surtain, played11 seasons as a cornerback in the NFL. Additionally, many of his current and former teammates are also highly recruited.
“It’s pretty cool,” Little said. “I get firsthand advice. They’re around whenever; I can go to them and ask them questions about the recruiting process, things I need to improve on my game. They always put me in the right position to be the best player I can be and help me get to the next level. I really appreciate those guys.”
Despite being an All-American and earning attention from some of the top college teams in the nation, Little said he doesn’t want the accolades to go to his head.
“I don’t want to get too bigheaded about it … I just work hard,” he said. “I feel like I deserve [the All-American Bowl invitation], but I don’t want to get too big-headed.”