What a week it was for the vaunted Everett High School football program.
Two former Crimson Tide standouts, Lewis Cine of the University of Georgia and Isaiah Likely, of Coastal Carolina University, were selected in the National Football League Draft.
Cine, a 6-foot-2-inch, 202-pound defensive back, was selected in the first round Thursday by the Minnesota Vikings. Cine helped lead Georgia to the national championship this season. He was named the defensive MVP in the Bulldogs’ 33-18 win over Alabama.
Likely, a 6-foot-4-inch, 245-pound tight end, was selected by the Baltimore Ravens Saturday in the fourth round. Likely was a three-time All-Sunbelt League selection and two-time All-American second team selection for the Chanticleers.
Cine and Likely both played for Super Bowl championship teams that were coached by John DiBiaso. Likely was also a starting point guard for the 2017-18 basketball team that was the Division 1 North champion and advanced to the state semifinals at the TD Garden where the Tide fell to eventual state champion Mansfield High. Current head coach Rob DiLoreto was an assistant coach on DiBiaso’s football staff for the 2017 state championship season.
DiBiaso said the talent level of the two future NFL draftees was evident during their high school careers in Everett.
“We were aware that Lewis and Isaiah were special players with tremendous potential and the ability to excel at the college level,” said DiBiaso. “Lewis was recruited by such schools as Penn State, Michigan, Notre Dame and BC when he played here. Isaiah was also a high-level collegiate prospect before Coastal Carolina offered him a scholarship.”
Cine had played defensive end for the Crimson Tide Pop Warner teams before DiBiaso converted Cine to safety.
“We switched Lewis to defensive back because he was very fast and reminded us
of [former BC player] Jimmy Noel,” said DiBiaso. “Lewis started as a freshman for us, and the rest is history.”
Likely was an outstanding pass receiver at Everett High, becoming a prominent target of quarterback Jake Willcox, who now plays at Brown University. Likely’s basketball skills also impressed DiBiaso during his two seasons in the program.
“Isaiah just handled the basketball very well,” said DiBiaso. “He had great vision and knowledge of the game. He was a very smart player.”
DiBiaso said he was “very proud” of the two EHS products.
“Lewis came from Pop Warner and was highly recommended to us by Dennis Willcox, and he was right,” said DiBiaso. “Isaiah came into our program, and he played very well. They’re both outstanding young men and I look forward to watching them play in the NFL. I’m very proud of Lewis and Isaiah, and I know the school and the city are proud as well. It’s quite an achievement when you have two players from one school get drafted into the NFL.”
The last Everett High School player to get drafted was Omar Easy, who was selected in the fourth round of the 2002 draft after playing football at Penn State. Easy played five seasons for the Kansas City Chiefs and the Oakland Raiders. Dr. Easy is currently the superintendent of Wayland public schools.
“Here’s a bit of trivia,” related DiBiaso. “Isaiah and his family lived in Omar’s house on Edith Street. Omar is the one who told me about Isaiah. He said to me, ‘I have a big kid that lives in my house, and you’ve got to take a look at him’ – and it was Isaiah Likely.”
Other players from Everett High in the past 60 years who went on to play professional football include Diamond Ferri, Dan Ross, Bobby Leo, and Pat Hughes.