Maynard Jackson Jaguars loaded with exciting young talent with a no fear mindset
With the start of the 2024 Georgia High School Association football season just over a month away, the Maynard Jackson Jaguars are back to work as they have returned to summer workouts and with the final dead period of the offseason in the rearview mirror, it’s full steam ahead for the Jaguars, who are led by head coach, Eric Williams, who is now in his 21st year leading the program.
“I kind of look at it as a ministry for me,” Williams, an Atlanta native, said of entering his 21st season with the Jaguars and how coaching allows him to give back to the community. “I feel like I’m just giving back to my community, trying to build upstanding young men for our community and trying to be a role model for them and be that person that reaches back and helps them the way someone helped me,” Williams added.
As for on the field, the Jaguars will open up the season on August 16 when they take on cross town rival, South Atlanta and will look to post their third straight winning season and Williams explains that while they are young this season, with just a few seniors who have on field experience, the underclassmen have displayed a no fear mentality.
“They’re very talented, they’re not scared of anything and that’s a good thing,” Williams said adding that they are also “eager to learn” and he understands that he will have to have patience as he and his staff prepare them for the season. However, Williams noted that he does expect to rely on some senior leadership from a few players including wide receiver Ricky Dorn Jr. and Vanderbilt commit and EDGE, Zion Lawson.
“I put a lot of pressure on Ricky,” Williams said in regards to wanting the standout wide receiver to be more vocal with his teammates, acknowledging that he understands that has not been his personality, however, he’s ready to see Dorn “be more vocal when it comes time to help install discipline and serve as a role model to these younger guys,” an expectation he also has for Lawson. “I lean heavy on him as far as taking that same kind of edge with the bigger guys down in the trenches,” Williams explained.
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