FAU football recruit recap: David Belvin III

Part 13 of our weekly series highlighting each of the 19 players that signed with FAU on National Signing Day.

Jonathan Scott | Contributing Photographer

Brendan Feeney, Sports Editor
March 21, 2016

David Belvin III was a veteran player on an inexperienced football team in his senior season at Palmetto High School. The defensive end signed with Florida Atlantic’s football program on National Signing Day, Feb. 3.

After two straight playoff berths in his sophomore and junior seasons, Belvin III’s senior year turned into a teaching experience.

His team finished 6-4 in what would be a rebuilding year for the school’s program.

“It helped me a lot, because I got to tell them my experiences and guide them into the future,” Belvin III said. “All these younger guys on varsity see how hard I work, how I never missed a day. I figured that could transfer to them and they could be the same.”

Belvin III’s work ethic earned him two first-team all-conference selections, as well as a second-team all-state honoree in his senior season. The defensive end believes his ability to defend the run as well as the pass helps him stick out.

His aggressive side leads him to thrive in run-stopping situations, but the Palmetto senior also compared his pass-rushing abilities to two of the NFL’s biggest stars — saying he can get off the edge of the line like Von Miller, but can also overpower offensive linemen like J.J. Watt.

That speed and power comes from Belvin III’s other competitive sport, weightlifting, which includes events like the bench press and clean and jerks.

“[The] lower body work we do, it’s helped with my speed and footwork,” Belvin III said, noting he’s been recently averaging a third or fourth place finish in his competitions.

He enjoys how young the program is, where it is headed and he wants to be a part of its growth.

Belvin III said he hopes to be remembered “as a leader and somebody that impacted the program … I’m a team player. I just want to help the team in anyway possible.”

Brendan Feeney is the sports editor of the University Press. To contact him regarding this or other stories, he can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter.