WR Yorke excited for next challenge

Royals standout eyeing multiple schools

Just three years into the sport, St. Stephen Royals wide receiver Jelani Yorke is more like a seasoned veteran on the gridiron.

Jelani Yorke

Positions
Wide Receiver, Tailback

Height/Weight
6’0, 173 lbs

Teams
St. Stephen Royals (high school: LOSSAA)
Oshawa Hawkeyes (junior varsity: OVFL)

Commitment
None

Official Visits
None

Considerations
Mount Allison, Wilfrid Laurier, McMaster, Simon Fraser (NCAA Division 2), Queen’s, Open

Class
2017

 

Coming off his first season with the junior varsity Oshawa Hawkeyes (OVFL), Jelani Yorke is looking forward to his fall campaign with the St. Stephen Royals of the Lake Ontario Secondary Secondary Athletic Association (LOSSAA).

Jelani averaged 21.2 yards on his 28 receptions for the Hawkeyes, leading the team into the playoffs and was selected as an OVFL All-Star.

“This high school season will be my third year playing football,” Jelani says. “I started playing during my first year of high school and I have really just taken off from there.”

Though he is a relative newcomer to the sport, the wide receiver approaches the game with the mindset of a veteran, which he attributes to the mentorship he has received at home.

“I train with my brother, Idahosa Yorke, when he is home,” Jelani says. “He plays football at Mount Allison University and he helps me workout and get my mind straight, so I can be ahead of the game mentally and physically, on and off the field.”

Thus far throughout his gridiron career, Jelani’s athleticism has been his calling card. As a dual-sport athlete, he has shown he can compete in a variety of different situations.

“I run track outside of school, and I have attended many meets and excelled on the national stage,” Jelani says. “I work hard on my running form, as well as speed and agility throughout the entire year.”

During the next year, Jelani says he plans to field interest from universities across North America to see where the best fit for him will be come 2017.

“Right now, my list of schools is open, but I would love to play in the NCAA, so I am working and doing all I can to achieve that goal,” Jelani says. “As for Canadian schools, I am interested in Mount Allison, Wilfrid Laurier, McMaster, Simon Fraser and Queens.”

For now, Jelani has a long list of skills he wants to improve on throughout the upcoming season. To get to the next level, he says he plans to work on his sprints, route running and arm strength.

“I want to be the best I can be and I am going to do anything and everything I can to reach my full potential,” Jelani says.