Leo Jefferson still remembers the first time he put his son on a football field.
Surrounded by kids five years older and several pounds heavier, a 7-year-old CeCe Jefferson lined up against his opponents in a Macclenny pee-wee league game just 40 minutes north of Gainesville. He played running back and linebacker.
No pads.
No holding back.
It didn’t take long for CeCe to turn heads, even at such a young age.
“He wasn’t messing around, I promise you,” Leo said emphatically.
“He was out there hitting them.”
Now, the 6-foot-1, 261-pound defensive lineman is still punishing quarterbacks and offensive lineman, albeit on a bigger stage in The Swamp.