ALL-COUNTY DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Baldwin’s middle man Russell keeps mashing

Published 10:00 am Saturday, December 21, 2024

Now that the Heisman Trophy has gone to a two-way sensation (and Georgia native) in college football, it reminds us how Baldwin High had its own dual threat unicorns.

Like that touchdown machine, Jonquavious “Q” Russell.

Three times when Baldwin High was deep in another team’s territory and the sideline called for the full-house backfield — three bodies in a three-point stance behind the quarterback — the senior best known as a ferocious nose guard got the football, crossed the goal line, and put six points on the scoreboard smiling all the way. Baldwin football hadn’t gotten into that T formation in recent memory, but with a new coaching regime entering for the 2024 season, Q took the opportunity to make a pitch that would bring him some offensive glory.

Not that his defensive play wasn’t headline-making enough. Q won the 2023 Union-Recorder County Defensive Player of the Year in football for making 21 tackles for a loss. With much more attention placed on him, that number obviously went down to eight in 2024. Still, “Q” was Baldwin’s overall leader in tackles with 80, including 51 solos and six quarterback sacks.

That brought him first the honor of Region 4-AAA Defensive Player of the Year, and his first-year head coach Kevin Patterson said hands down he should be the two-time U-R County Defensive Player of the Year.

Last fall, Q went through about as many practice jerseys as he did tackles. He even had to sport more than one uniform number come game time, going from his custom 36 to 5 when the team broke out new bright red tops with black numbers.

“The biggest thing is it was just buying in,” said Q about leading 7-5 Baldwin to second place in 4-AAA and the second round of the GHSA playoffs. “With the new coaching staff, everybody bought in pretty well. Me leading kind of brought the team together. We didn’t finish how we wanted, but we gave our all. Getting ready for college now.”

It wasn’t the first time Q toted the pigskin as a football player. He did all the way up to middle school ball.

“I kept asking (the new coaches), ‘On offense let me run when we get on the 2, 3, 5 yard line. Let me run it in,’” he said. “It was my senior year. Just wanted more stats.”

Q had another role for the Braves all four varsity seasons, that being the long snapper on special teams. This year he got to show off the creative side of long snapping in the ‘swinging gate’ formation taking the football and throwing it backwards while in a legal stance to somebody trying to score two points.

He agrees that you have to have a little fun playing football.

“I feel great overall,” said “Q” about the 2024 campaign. “I worked hard during the offseason. I did what it takes. My performance spoke for itself. I know what my standards are. I just work hard.

“(Playing on the defensive line this year) was kind of hard. They couldn’t stop me, so they had to send two or three guys at me at a time. If you just put me on one guy, I’m going to beat him. Most teams game-planned against me … I had to be versatile, move around the field. That’s what (Patterson) was making me do, play a little bit of nose, end, so they won’t get their best foot on me.”

And so came with it the ripped jerseys. The same thing happened at practice when it’s good on good with the Baldwin offensive line.

“They love to work and I love to work,” said Q. “I was making them competitive, make the drill hard.”

The same competitive spirit is seen in the Baldwin weight room. Q said they increase the work load every week. For example, if he is benching 285 pounds one week, and then they max out two weeks or a month later, that needs to be higher by 10 or 15 pounds.

“As long as you are getting stronger,” he said. “I’m not going to say I have the best (numbers), but I got decent.”

Q also made the preseason comment about going to “a lot of camps” last offseason. That’s where he can work in speed, run 40s. He said he would take over things at camps, but learned something else about his position. He knows about fellow noses like Jordan Davis, Jalen Carter and Nazir Stackhouse, but …

“I’m kind of undersized,” said Q, a 6-footer at 240 pounds. “But I’m a dog. I’ve got the heart. You turn that film on with me, you won’t be disappointed.

“I’m hearing a lot from different kinds of (colleges). My biggest thing is making sure I do my part in the classroom. It’s just waiting for everything to roll in. It takes time, and I’m waiting for my time.”

As for positions, Q will go wherever his new team feels will help them win, be it staying on the interior, the edge or going to middle linebacker. Even, say, fullback on offense.

Q mentioned interest from Reinhardt University in Cherokee County and Warner University in Florida.

“When I go to college, I want to major in business and sports management,” he said. “I love the game of football. Nobody’s going to be able to take it away from me. The opportunities I’m going to have to max out. Take it day by day, but take no day for granted. That’s what I’m focused on, staying in shape.”