For a guy who had never played football before this season, it’s been quite a start for Oak Hall junior Darius Medley.
After spending the first few weeks of the season getting used to putting on pads, Medley broke out in a big way, averaging 30 yards every time he touched the ball in just the third game of his career. He finished with 207 total yards and three touchdowns to earn UF Health Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine Athlete of the Week honors.
“I absolutely love football. I’ve always been a baseball player, but putting on the pads is honestly like heaven,” Medley said. “It’s a contact sport and it’s great to take some anger out while competing. I can just let it eat, and I wasn’t able to do that in baseball.”
Medley transferred to Oak Hall this season after attending P.K. Yonge for middle school and his freshman year. Following in his brother’s footsteps, he quickly found his place at Oak Hall both in the classroom and on the field.
“He’s a breath of fresh air, such a great kid who’s coachable, and he meshed right away with our program,” Oak Hall head coach R.J. Fuhr said. “His instincts are natural, he has the athleticism to play on both sides of the ball, and he’s been a huge spark for our club.”
Fuhr first noticed Medley while watching him hit in the batting cage and encouraged him to try football. Medley is glad he did.
“I was scared to play offense because I didn’t know the plays or even know where to go,” Medley said. “But Coach put in so much time and effort to help me. I’ve worked really hard to understand what’s going on, so now it’s just second nature. I know what to do, and it’s helped me play fast and free.”
Medley scored his first career touchdown last week against Bishop Snyder, taking a sweep around the edge and outrunning the defense. He finished with 77 yards on three carries in that game before exploding in a 52-30 win against Seven Rivers Christian.
“I knew they weren’t going to catch me. It was one of those out-of-body experiences that I’ll never forget,” Medley said. “I remember screaming and thinking how amazing it was to find the end zone. Then celebrating with my teammates and feeling like I belonged has given me the confidence to do anything for this group. We’ve got a chance to have a special season.”
The junior credits senior quarterback Aaron Akins for helping him learn the game and for being the leader that every football team needs. He loves how invested his teammates are and looks forward to the final 6 games of the regular season and beyond.
“It’s like a family. We have each other’s backs, and I know those guys would do anything to make sure we win games,” Medley said. “It gives me the motivation to go out there and ball out. I’m never going to take a play off, and I feel like we have a chance to win all of our games if we play the way we’re capable of.”
Medley will return to baseball in the spring to play for Roger Maris as Oak Hall’s starting shortstop. But football may have a future for him beyond high school. Medley said he hopes to earn a scholarship to play at the Division I level.
Each weekly winner of the Athlete of the Week award becomes eligible for the UF Health High School Athlete of the Year Scholarship, a $2,500 prize awarded at the end of the 2025-26 academic year.