It takes a while for some kids to trulysome kids to truly appreciate what their parents do for them. But Curt Maggitt realized early on that the single father who raised him and his siblings was special — so much so that the Dwyer defensive star made it a goal to copy his dad’s work ethic, not only on the football field, but in every aspect of life.
So far he’s followed that path. As a junior defensive end, he leads Dwyer with 13 sacks as the Panthers (13-1) prepare for Saturday’s Class 4A state championship game against Niceville in Orlando.
Only a junior, the 6-foot-3, 205-pound Maggitt already has over a dozen scholarship offers from many of the top college programs in the country. Some opposing coaches have called him the best defensive player they’ve ever seen at the high school level.
But it’s his refreshingly humble attitude that strikes people who meet him, say coaches and peers. And that, he says, comes from his father.
Maggitt’s mother, Marilyn Bizins, passed away from brain cancer when he was just 2 years old. Growing up in Riviera Beach, Curt and his older brother Roosevelt and their two sisters watched their father Roosevelt Maggitt Sr. put in long days at the town marina to make sure they were always provided for.
“The main reason I’m where I’m at is because I was fortunate to have a father who was always there for me,” Curt said. “He did whatever he had to do to make sure we were happy and a lot of kids grow up without that. I work extremely hard so my dad can be proud of me.”
Roosevelt Maggitt Sr. said he is proud of his son, and explained that his devotion to his children came from his own childhood.
He said he never really never knew his father and watched his mother struggle trying to raise her seven kids. He vowed that when he had kids it would be different.
“So far I’ve given (my children) 21 years of being a father that I never had,” he said. “I sacrificed a lot of things in my life to make sure they had a chance to succeed and Curt tells me everyday that he loves me for it — and that makes everything worth it.”
The respect for family in the Maggitt household stretches to Curt’s older brother Roosevelt, who was also a standout defensive end for Dwyer and is now playing at Iowa State. Curt says he is constantly learning from his brother, and despite Curt having scholarship offers from schools such as Florida, Miami, Alabama and Tennessee, he says it isn’t out of the question that he’d join Roosevelt at Iowa State, but that decision is still a long way out.
“Last year I took it upon myself to fill my brother’s shoes, to play up to a standard he set,” Curt said. “I speak to him every night and the main thing he tells me is to always have fun and to remember why I started playing the game.”
He made his mark last year as a sophomore, leading Dwyer with 17 sacks and 54 tackles. Despite missing four games this season due to minor shoulder and knee injuries, Maggitt again leads the team in sacks.
Dwyer coach Jack Daniels calls him an “absolutely great kid who couldn’t be more humble or work any harder.”
“There’s something about Curt that makes everybody love him,” Daniels said. “He’s one kid you enjoy seeing every day because he’s always smiling and having fun and on top of that he’s just an amazing football player.”
Maggitt’s father said for as long as he could remember all Curt wanted to do was play football. “When he was about 9, I could tell he was really going to be good,” he said. “Everything he gets out of life, he will have earned.”
To really grasp the impact that Maggitt has on those who watch him play or meet him, you’d have to look at Dwyer’s 46-0 blowout of Palm Beach Gardens, one of Dwyer’s main rivals, earlier this year. Likely cheering on Maggitt this weekend will be Palm Beach Gardens coach Chris Davis.
“He’s the best player I saw all year and as good as any player I’ve ever seen at this level,” said Davis, who has coached high school for 11 seasons. “We didn’t want any part of him and checked away from him all game.
“He’s a special talent and as classy a kid as you’re ever going to see; it’s nice to see the good guys win once in a while.”
Palm Beach Post Dec 15th 2009
Curt Maggitt with Scott Arnold at Homecoming 2009
