In the classroom, Washington flipped a switch transitioning from the confident, outspoken football star to the quiet student who excelled. Fort Myers went on to beat Ray Lewis and Lakeland Kathleen, a game where Washington found the end zone again, before losing in a rematch to Fort Lauderdale St. It was the catalyst for the Greenies’ 30-7 victory. Washington, a second-team News-Press all-area selection that season, answered by catching a slant and taking it to the house.
That was on full display during a region championship game in 1992 where Peter Warrick and Bradenton Southeast jumped out to a 7-0 lead on Fort Myers in the teams’ fourth meeting in six years.
"In key spots I had 100 percent confidence in him and, more importantly, Rod did," Sirianni Jr. He put himself in positions to make plays in 1-on-1 coverage with Gadson delivering him the ball. has ever coached.Īt receiver, he took advantage of playing alongside German, one of the top players in the country and a University of Miami recruit who drew the singular attention of opposing defenses. He did so as a 325-pound bench presser with one of the highest football IQs Sirianni Jr. "He came out with the idea of proving himself."Īs an underclassman in meeting rooms and practicing alongside all-state players like quarterback Rod Gadson, nose tackle Keith Drayton and German among other blue-chip talents, Washington later told Sirianni Jr. "Nod had a proverbial chip on his shoulder which really spurred him to being successful," said current Fort Myers head coach Sam Sirianni Jr., who served as offensive coordinator under his father Sam Sirianni during Washington’s time on varsity from 1991 to 1993. While the 6-1, 180-pound German looked every bit the part of the high school All-American he would eventually become, Washington checked in at 5-foot-7, at best, knowing he’d have to earn everything he got on the football field. The two only grew closer at Fort Myers High. They became fast friends at an early age living near each other in what was known as the New Projects, which has since been torn down. German said he met Washington, who couldn’t be reached for comment for this story, through Gates. When it was his time to shine, we knew he was going to be successful in something."
You knew he was going to be successful in something," German said. He was the shortest, but he had style, had swag. More: First black Fort Myers High football players share memories as trailblazers in 1969 season The Greenies produced several great players, but this week, when asked about Fort Myers football’s most famous alumni who didn’t star on the gridiron in college or the NFL, German had to tip his cap to Washington, who has become one of hip-hop’s most authentic voices.įort Myers at 100: Top players, coaches, wins, moments, disappointing losses Plies, Washington’s rap persona that encompassed everything that made him a major contributor on some of the Greenies’ greatest teams, put Fort Myers on the map much like German and company had a more than a decade earlier.Īnd no one was surprised, especially not German.įort Myers football continues to celebrate its 100th season and it will be no different Friday for homecoming against East Lee County at Edison Stadium. Meanwhile, 2018’s “Rock” flipped an intractably dark Three 6 Mafia beat into a song about steadfast love, proving what we already knew: armed with that slow, malleable flow, Plies is a master of subversion.It wasn’t until six years later, German turned on his television and saw Washington rapping in the “Shawty” music video that featured mega-recording star T-Pain.
He’s often indulged his wit over the years, too, as on 2016's tongue-in-cheek “Ran off on da Plug Twice,” whose video spawned a dance move seen in clubs and NFL endzones alike. Plies stretched his inflection further with Da REAList in 2008, particularly on the sparsely menacing “All Black,” a reference to the MC’s preferred style of dress while moving on enemies. As hard as he is, Plies’ 2007 debut, The Real Testament, put his homegrown charisma on full display with his breakthrough single, “Shawty,” a trap love song featuring fellow rising Floridian T-Pain.
From the beginning, his syrup-thick Southern slur added style and emotion to the tales that have made his life a series of adventures, some more harrowing than others. Born in Fort Myers, 1976, Algernod Lanier Washington was a late-bloomer-his first hits were on the football field, from high school to NCAA-but after investing in his stepbrother’s rap label, Plies discovered his calling. At any given time, the elastic-throated Florida MC might sound like a party, a confrontation, or a relationship waiting to happen. Plies doesn’t just rap-he wields his voice like an instrument, a mood, or even an event.