PUNTA GORDA, Fla. — Charlotte High school alum, Stan Thomas-Oliver III, was drafted into the NFL.
He was picked in the seventh round of the NFL draft to the Carolina Panthers.
“I feel great, still in shock a little bit, ” said Stan Thomas-Oliver III.
He is a senior cornerback at Florida International University.
“ It feels good to be a panther still kinda, ”said Stan Thomas-Oliver III.
Stan says this moment came through hard work and determination.
“It took a lot of long nights, workouts, getting up when you didn’t want to, just having to push through overcome a lot of adversity, “ said Stan Thomas-Oliver III.
We spoke to former charlotte High School head football coach, Binky Waldrop, who says Oliver was a great overall student.
“He was a 4.0 student in high school almost, and just a good overall athlete, ” said Waldrop.
Coach Waldrop wasn’t at all surprised by the news, he says Stan was made for this.
“ 6”3, he’s fast, he’s got good hands, he’s got the work ethic, he’s got the character, ” said Binky Waldrop.
Stan now serves as a role model for young football players
“There are so many kids that want this but don’t get the opportunity, ” said Waldrop.
“I am happy I could be something to somebody that can say we can really make it out of this area and we can really do something big for the community,” said Stan Thomas-Oliver III.
Stan Thomas-Oliver says he is excited to start preparing for his first NFL season.
