Illinois High School Football: 2011 Recruit Diandre Rhodes, The Enforcer

With already three great defensive backs on the Bolingbrook High School football team, Diandre Rhodes is the fourth. While there is no specific ranking among the four, Rhodes is the one player who is driven because he gets overlooked, driven because he won't stop until he's the best.

The 6-foot, 175-pound senior plays safety for the BHS Raiders and goes out every day not to get noticed by scouts but to make plays and have opponents take notice of his talents.

"I go out there and use my hard-hitting style and ability to read the offense as my tools for success."

Like some of the greatest hard-hitting safeties, Sean Taylor (Redskins), Roy Williams (Bengals), Ed Reed (Ravens), and rookie Taylor Mays (49ers), Rhodes uses his anger in a positive way, on the field, to be the best player he can be.

"I can control my anger to the point where it focuses me on making the big play or the big hit."

Off the field Rhodes spends time with his younger brother, a junior at BHS, Diaron Rhodes (you can find his article, "Rhodes Island," also on my page) working to improve each other's game.

"When I'm off the field I'm watching film on either myself or NFL safeties. I like to run to stay in shape; I want everyone to know that I'm a hard worker and I always learn something new every day."

While the big names are mentioned above, Rhodes looks more local when asking the playing style he likes the most: "I feel like I play like former Bears safety Mike Brown. Always being a leader and making the best play on the ball that I can."

While making it big is every player's dream, Rhodes stays in the current moment. When asked what he's looking forward to Rhodes said, "I'm very excited about our first game against our rival Downers Grove South. There's a lot of hype building into this game, but we're doing a great job staying focused on our assignments. 

"I also have the Lockport game circled on our schedule. They have a strong running back in Dan Holman, but just by our training during the offseason I'm more than confident that our defense can keep him under control."

So there you have it, a fourth member of what might be the best secondary in Illinois high school football. Diandre Rhodes doesn't need the spotlight to shine and while offers would be nice, he'll take his game to wherever he can make the biggest plays and the hardest hits. Just like he knows how to do best.