An ankle injury almost derailed Manatee’s Justin Porter. Now he’ll play college football.
In his sophomore season, Manatee High linebacker Justin Porter went for a tackle in a late October game against Lithia Newsome.
But when Porter was making the tackle, a collision with his left ankle created an enormous pain for him.
“When it first happened, I truly thought my football career was over,” Porter said.
Porter endured a major injury scare following an emergency surgery as the bone in his ankle was pinching a nerve. It also required months of rehab with Hurricanes athletic trainer Bruce Lawlor and solid home support from his parents, Jernard Porter and Keke Christmas.
Making the most of his second chance at football, Porter morphed into a senior leader with Manatee High last fall, helping the Hurricanes win a district championship and reach the Class 7A region final.
Choosing a college
And now, he knows where he’ll play college football. He was set to sign Saturday with Carson-Newman University.
“I knew a lot of people that went to Carson-Newman and I knew a lot about this school,” Porter said. “I knew it would be a great fit for me and my academics.”
The Division II program in Jefferson City, Tenn., boasted a roster in 2019 with several players from Manatee County. Porter’s cousin, wide receiver Korey Waters, played at Southeast High while Antonio Henderson and Jamarion McDonald are former Manatee High players on the CSN roster. Palmetto High alums Brian Bembry, who eschewed D-I offers in 2015, Elijah Davis, Alonzo Houston, Jesse West and Rodshon Williams also dotted the Eagles football roster in 2019.
And Porter’s teammate last fall, Jah’Quavis Davis, signed with Carson-Newman in February.
For Porter, he’s not only joining his cousin Korey Waters but also following another cousin, Demarcus Christmas, who played at Florida State and was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in 2019, as a college football player.
“He talked to me a lot, what to expect at the next level and things that would happen that I would have to get past just for me to succeed,” Porter said.
Porter racked up 99 of his 188 career tackles in his senior season, owing to his aggressive playmaking. He also had six sacks last fall, giving him nine for three varsity seasons, as he played everywhere in the linebacking unit as a versatile run-stuffer and pass defender.
Displays of leadership
But beyond his physical skills, Porter exuded leadership — an intangible that isn’t always taught.
It was on display with him getting selected as a captain of the South team in the annual FACA North/South All-Star Classic, as well as when Manatee High started the season off slow.
Following an 0-3 start, Porter realized the linebackers needed to extra film study, which meant watching film at 7 a.m. before school started.
“He led that and made sure that all the kids that played linebacker … he would have those guys there in the morning,” Manatee High head coach Yusuf Shakir said.
The results were staggering. The Canes won six of their final seven regular season games before exiting in the third round of the FHSAA 7A playoffs.
And now he knows where he’s heading next after choosing Carson-Newman for college football.
“They’re definitely getting a great kid, first and foremost, from a great family,” Shakir said. “It’s one thing to talk about players, but great people make great players. And great people make great players as it relates to consistency, dependability, accountability and a desire to get better.”
Other signees
In addition to Porter’s signing, here’s a list of other football players from the county that signed on National Signing Day in February or after that date:
Bayshore: Devon Randall (Independence Community College), Jesse Cannon (Rochester Community Technical College), Eishinner Sanon (West Hills College)
Braden River: Luke Reeves (New Mexico Military Academy), D’Angelo Antonino (St. Thomas University), Robbie Goecker (Furman, preferred walk-on)
Lakewood Ranch: Shamar Beatty (Atasca Community College), Michael Cucci (USF. preferred walk-on)
Manatee: Jah’Quavis Davis (Carson-Newman University)
Palmetto: Kevion Williams (Hutchinson Community College), Quinton Roux (Butler Community College), Ellison Bradley (Ferris State University), Brayden Nicol (Louisiana-Monroe), LaJohntay Wester (Florida Atlantic), Daemon Hill (Central Michigan), Kobe Mays (Saginaw Valley State), Eddravian Butler (Avila University), Raekwon Crawford (Avila University), Xavier Williams (Mount Union)
Saint Stephen’s: Dylan Davis (Furman), Cam Vining (Army), Alex Sket (Denison)
If there’s anyone we’ve missed, email sports@bradenton.com to let us know.
This story was originally published May 2, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
