Blaze Ingram has been a young phenom for several years. At age 7, he ran a 13.48 in the 100-meter dash, and at 10, he clocked a 4.21 in the 40. News headlines tagged him as the “Fastest Kid in the World.”
Now 14 years old, Blaze’s football skills – he’s good, really good – have been on display this week at the Pop Warner Super Bowl. He can play anywhere on the field.
But his performance off the field is just as impressive.
With a social media following approaching one million, there’s a generation of young football players looking up to him – one of their peers. I’ve watched as players from competing teams asked for his autograph or asked to pose for pictures.
And he handles it like a pro. Check out his own reel: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DR_MuB1kW9R/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
In a past post, I expressed caution about NIL in youth sports – particularly parents’ pursuit of social influence and corporate deals: setting unrealistic expectations, burning kids out, and putting athletes before team.
But throughout our Super Bowl week, one thing I observed in Blaze and a few other kids with growing platforms is a strong level of maturity, both on and off the field, as individuals and as teammates.
These are kids I’m cheering for.