2017 Introduction: Wayne County’s (Tn.) Preston Rice
Preston Rice, of Waynesboro (Tn.) is an under the radar quarterback to watch for this fall. The 6-foot 2-inch, 220-pound signal caller had a explosive junior campaign. His 2015 production resulted in him being chosen to the all-state team, and he was also the runner-up for Tennessee’s Mr. Football. Rice racked up over 2,100 yards through the air and completed 31 touchdowns passes while only being intercepted 4 times. Rice also showed his duel threat ability by rushing for nearly 600 yards with an additional 8 touchdowns on the ground. With such a successful 2015 campaign, Rice is confident in his abilities heading into his senior season.
“I have a strong arm. I am a competitor, a good leader, and a winner most of all,” said Rice.
Outside of his on field ability, Rice has put up some staggering numbers in the weight room for a quarterback. He currently has a bench max of 255, clean max of 275, and squat max of 405. Along with his offseason work, Rice feels that he has a mental edge on his competition due to his knowledge of the game. He credits a lot of his understanding of football to his working relationship with his father, Rick Rice who is his Preston's head coach at Wayne County.
“Everything we do in life is related to football, and we put everything we can into football. He has taught me everything I know about the game just like he did with my brother,” said Rice.
With a 12 win season and the only loss coming to the eventual state champion Nashville Christian, the 2015 season for the Wayne County(Tn.) Wildcats was one for the record book in most people’s eyes. However, the commander in chief of the wildcat offense is still hungry for more. Preston confirmed that he and his teammates are on a quest for another gold ball to be brought back to Waynesboro.
“I want my team to win state, and this is the most important goal I have for next year. Then after that I want to win Mr. Football for sure. I also would like to be selected to the all-state team again,” said Rice.
Rice is currently receiving interest from Holy Cross and Columbia, but look for him to pick more interest after this summer as he plans to hit the camp circuit. Rice plans on camping at WKU, Chattanooga, West Georgia, Tennessee Tech, Murray State, and all the National Playmaker Academy camps. Rice is ultimately looking to play in a tradition rich program that also offers a high quality education.
