Mystery solved.
When Granada Hills High speedster Dijon Stanley took off on a 90-yard touchdown run in the City Section Division I championship game last month, video showed a back judge matching strides with Stanley.
It turns out that back judge was pretty fast himself during his playing days.
It was 36-year-old Antoine Cason, a former star defensive back at Los Alamitos High and Arizona who became a first-round NFL draft choice in 2008 and once was part of Arizona’s 4×100 relay team in track.
Stanley is the City Section champion in the 400 meters and headed to Utah on a football scholarship.
“Usually people can’t keep up with that kid,” Cason said. “I’m in good shape. I can still go. I saw him run a few times and said I have to open up my stride.”
From 2008 to 2014, Cason played for the San Diego Chargers, Arizona Cardinals, Carolina Panthers and Baltimore Ravens.
Now he’s trying to become an NFL official, working high school varsity, junior college and Division III college games.
He doesn’t mind showing off his speed.
“I like it,” he said. “It still lets them know I still got a little.”
So any high school football players who think they are fast, first you have to outrun the back judge.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.