Apopka D-line coach Matt Anderson enjoys watching ex-Darters Trey Hendrickson, Jalen Carter become Pro Bowlers

Apopka defensive line coach Matt Anderson has a pretty rare distinction.

Two of the players he coached in high school were named to the NFL Pro Bowl this season in Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson and Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter.

Those arent the first players coached by Anderson and former Apopka head coach Rick Darlington to have NFL success.

Linebacker Kyle Wilber played 10 years in the NFL, but he never was named to the Pro Bowl.

But Anderson, whos been at Apopka for 25 years, isnt going to tell you it was some miraculous coaching ingredient that led to the success of those players.

Success, however, was something that was built through the toughness and work ethic that Apopka players develop and advocate.

That work ethic instilled by Anderson and Darlington, who is now at DeLand, and carried on by current Apopka head coach Jeff Rolson is what Blue Darters football is known for.

Its grit and physicality and an incredible desire to be the best.

Thats Apopka football.

And, in essence, thats Matt Anderson.

Hes excited about Hendrickson and Carter being selected for Sundays NFL Pro Bowl Games at Camping World Stadium (3 p.m., ESPN).

Carter will not be in the game because he is playing in next Sundays Super Bowl with his Eagles teammates against the Kansas City Chiefs.

This is Hendricksons fourth Pro Bowl selection in his eight years in the league, and the first for second-year player Carter .

Hendrickson was absent from Pro Bowl practice on Saturday.

Anderson wont take the credit.

He boasts of the drive and focus that all three players have had.

Wilber possessed the motivation that helped him to become a starting linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys and the Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders.

He is now the special-teams quality-control coach for the Green Bay Packers.

Pictures: 2025 Pro Bowl Games Skills Showdown Its pretty cool, sure, Anderson said.

The thing I always forget to tell people about Trey and Jalen, both of those guys had a very high football IQ.

Carter was always expected to be that star from his early days in youth football.

He was also that guy and he carried that distinction throughout his time at Apopka, the University of Georgia and now in the NFL.

Hendrickson wasnt necessarily that guy from the beginning.

He was always a standout football player, but his versatility probably worked against him when it came to recruiting attention and accolades during his prep days.

Apopka used him on both sides of the ball and he was actually thought of as more of a tight end when he was a senior in high school.

Trey was a lot like Kyle Wilber.

He was kind of that same body type, skinny and lanky, Anderson said.

Watching him as a freshman, he was really high energy and kind of gritty and I wanted him [on defense].

He started out as a linebacker and he really liked to dish out misery.

He played for me his sophomore and junior year, but I was pretty stacked his senior year.

I had enough D-linemen in 2012, so we needed him and he fit that spot on offense, so he played at tight end and slot.

Apopka won the state title that season and Hendrickson caught two touchdown passes in the state semifinal against Dr.

Phillips that propelled the Darters into the state title game.

Trey would come in and do pass-rush stuff on defense and we knew he was going to play D-end eventually.

...

Trey is edgy and those guys are hard to find.

He was 6-3, and 200 pounds, and he could move.

Now Hendrickson is 6-foot-4, 270 pounds and the best pass rusher in the league.

He led the NFL in sacks this season with 17.5 and has 70 in his career.

Carter is now 6-foot-3, 314 pounds and has 10.5 sacks and 75 tackles in his first two seasons.

From a young age, Carter was always that guy.

He didnt quite get that championship ring in high school like Hendrickson, but he was defensive MVP at the Under Armour All-American Game in 2020, and he helped Georgia win back-to-back national titles in the 2021 and 2022 seasons.

You knew Jalen was going to special from early on.

He played H-back his first two years, but Rick [Darlington] gave him to me his sophomore year, Anderson said.

And then when Jeff took over, his philosophy was that he was going to play D-line in college, so he needs to start learning how to play.

I didnt want to over-coach him when he was learning the offensive stuff too, but he and Trey both pick up on stuff really quick.

Besides their football intelligence, what Anderson also said stands out most about both players is their quick burst off the line of scrimmage.

Both of those guys have really good first-step burst speed.

They can really get up field and cause havoc and be very disruptive, he said.

When Anderson watches his former pupils, he notices the little things.

Trey is laser-focused and hes really composed.

You can tell he has really grown up over the past 15 years, and so its really fun to watch that and see what kind of a team player he is, Anderson said.

And then Jalen, people think Jalen was probably outgoing, but he was very quiet.

He liked to have fun like any other high school kid, but I really like seeing him be vocal out on the field like he is now, especially this year.

So its neat to see.

Humbleness is what seems to embody both players, a trait also picked up at Apopka, but it didnt have to be forced on them.

Its the kind of people they are.

Im just proud to see how both of those guys have developed, Anderson said..

This article has been shared from the original article on orlandosentinel, here is the link to the original article.