David Tabakovic won’t forget where he came from anytime soon, though that’s because his coaches and teammates do terrible Russian accents.
The Durant High School junior has lived in the United States since 2008. His English is good enough to be indistinguishable from the average American 16-year-old — thanks in part to years of learning English in Russia. Like many big guys around his age, he can be found on the football field on Friday nights.
It’s a departure from his first sport, rugby, but a change he grew to love.
FROM BEARS TO BUCCANEERS
Born and raised in Russia to a Russian father and a Polish mother, Tabakovic grew up in a small town, dotted with barns and brick houses. It almost sounds like any small country town — just with more bears.
“It’s a stereotypical thing, but it’s true,” Tabakovic says.
His father, a mechanic for Volkswagen, taught him English from a young age. According to Tabakovic, it was classic “Dad” reasoning.
You never know, son, what’s going to happen, Tabakovic recalls his father saying. We may move to America.
A job-related transfer, coupled with the divorce of his parents, happened to play into that situation: moving to the U.S.
The family initially settled in Palm Harbor in 2008. Tabakovic’s father remarried, and the family moved to Valrico in 2013.
Although Tabakovic had heard of American football while in Russia, his first opportunity to try it came in the U.S.
“My dad signed me up for football in 2008 and, ever since then, he’s been inspiring me to keep going and follow my dream,” Tabakovic says.
It didn’t take long before he fell in love with the sport, and he found an idol in Tampa Bay Buccaneers legend Mike Alstott: a fullback, also Tabakovic’s position. Like a forward attack in rugby, Tabakovic enjoyed “plowing through” people to score points.
After about a year of learning the game, it all came together for Tabakovic. He knew he wanted to play high school football — but his chance was put on hold.
BACK TO LIFE
Tabakovic returned to Russia in 2014 to visit his mother. The trip caused him to miss what would have been his freshman season with the Cougars.
After returning, his parents accidentally signed him up for the Valrico Rams Pop Warner team.
He made the Durant varsity team in 2015, his sophomore year. Durant has been putting him to work in his junior season, making the most of his blocking and running skills. Carrying the ball, Tabakovic is averaging 4.3 yards per carry and has scored twice. He knows fullbacks aren’t as common as they used to be, but he hopes to play well enough for Durant to play in college, preferably Florida State University, and maybe go to the NFL.
“I’m trying to bring that position back to life,” Tabakovic says.
TITLE FIGHT
It may be true that Tampa Bay Tech is favored to win the Friday, Oct. 21, game and the district, as has been the case all season. Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. and the Titans offense have decimated opposing defenses with its relentless passing game, and the defense has similarly shown little mercy.
The Cougars claim nobody believed they could beat Plant City Friday, Oct. 14. They proved the doubters wrong by winning and securing a playoff spot. If they already beat the odds once, who’s to say they can’t do it again?
Contact Justin Kline at jkline@plantcityobserver.com.