Living Spiritual gives Russell strength in all areas of his life
Houston – Adding balance to his life made a difference. Piecing together the near misses of life with the simple things, made times enjoyable.
Growing up as a child, he dreamed of getting away from family struggles, which motivated him to work harder at the game he loves. At the age of four, Jamez Russell, now 18, got his first taste of football. It was a way of balancing life with things that were challenging.
What former DeKaney offensive lineman Russell has is time on his side. Now that he’s finished high school, Russell, a freshman, will head to Kilgore Junior College on a full scholarship, where he will compete for a starting position at left offensive tackle. A thing or two concerning football is what he knows.
A new experience awaits Russell at Kilgore. Competitive linemen will be among the crowd this fall. The challenge won’t be easy. But, the knowledge of facing talented linemen at Conroe, Humble, and the Klein/Spring School districts give Russell a starting point.
“I was told by my new teammates to come and be ready to work hard,” says Russell. “We have a tradition to uphold here at Kilgore.”
Russell caught the attention of recruiters with his athletic ability. At 6’4″ 290 pounds, he possesses quick feet, speed, great blocking technique, agility, and the rare ability to stay with his block well down the field. Agility and size made it easy for Coach William to have him pulling on several plays, taking out the opposition’s outside linebacker.
Accustom to pancake blocks, the steam-rolling mammoth led are DeKaney with 38.
In the spring, he posted a time of 4.9 in the 40-yard dash and bench presses 335 pounds.
He knows that hard work will be expected. Russell ranked eighth in Texas on the defensive side of the ball, according to Vype Magazine’s Top 100 Rankings in his last two years. Though his stint on defense was limited during his sophomore season, he excelled at nose guard, it showed his talents on both sides of the ball. His skills helped land scholarship offers from major division one schools. Such as Baylor, Colorado State, Iowa State, Kansas State, LSU, OSU, Rice, Stanford, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, and the University of Houston.
Despite a minor setback of low SAT scores, Russell considered smaller division one schools as well as junior colleges. Grambling State University followed Russell closely since his sophomore season. Before selecting Kilgore, Grambling offered a scholarship. But before Russell decided, Coach Williams convinced him to look at all options including Kilgore Junior College where he might play a couple of years and transfer to Texas A&M, his top choice.
Jamez Jr. is Born
From bittersweet times to embracing the love of his newborn son, Jamez Russell, Jr. was born on October 8, 2013. The moment a delightful time in his life. J.J., short for Jamez Jr., is the light of Russell’s heart.
J.J. an active toddler enjoys spending time with his father. Each morning before workouts, Russell plays with JJ. Usually, a game of chase, Tonka trucks, and playing ball are what they enjoy most.
Like the average person, Russell enjoys his free time. When Russell isn’t working out, you can find him at home reading the Bible, which tops his list of activities in his spare time. Other actives include listening to a variety of music, movies, going to the park, and spending time with his girlfriend Ciara Brooks, mother of JJ. Brooks and Russell met their sophomore year at DeKaney.
Spiritual Advice Helped With Tragedy
When family members are experiencing adverse times, Russell is up to the challenge offering a helping hand. He is admired by family and friends for offering heartfelt advice. When a depressing moment arises in the family, spiritual rejuvenation is on the horizon. The family calls on Jesus and prays. The battle is His (God’s); if you allow Him to take over; He will fight your battles.
“Through adversity, I pull my family up when their down,” said Russell. “If you don’t open your mind, you’ll never know what’s in front of you.”
Russell used prayer and gave his battles to God after learning about his first cousin Demontre Bailey’s death. Bailey (15), a sophomore running back at the time, played at Russell’s former school, Cy-Creek, died of a gunshot wound on October 4, 2014.
The two were inseparable; they had a relationship built around friendship and love. Whether it was football, spending time at one another’s house, movies, or going to the park, they bonded like brothers.
“It angered me of my cousin’s death,” explained Russell. “We were very close and did everything together. I taught him all that he knew about football.”
Russell took his frustrations out during his workouts. His game began to improve from the intense weight lifting, running, and skill work. It wasn’t the traditional way of excelling at football.
“From my anger, I improved my game,” Russell explained. “My workouts were hard, but I didn’t notice it from my frustration build up.”
The Loss of Two Key Players
While going through the healing process of Bailey’s death, another major catastrophe struck. Jamez learned of the deaths of the two popular, and talented players on Instagram the day it happened.
Juniors Sarid Shahdaia (defensive end) and Quincy Williams (running back) were killed in a car accident along the I-45 Feeder Road. Driver Larry Jessamy also died at the scene. Jessamy (38), was a personal trainer who worked at Legends Sports Complex in The Woodlands. The Chevy Camaro clipped a van, hit a curb, and lost control while trying to make a right turn on Parramatta Lane where it crashed into a concrete support column.
Russell didn’t believe the shocking news until Coach Williams confirmed the sad story.
Russell and Shahdaia were best friends and played alongside each other during Russell’s short stint on defense. He was also the talented defensive ends’ mentor.
“At DeKaney, we are told to choose a freshman player to mentor from that time until we graduate,” explained Russell. Much like the relationship Russell shared with Bailey, he and Shahdaia talked and spent many days together on and off the field.
After the tragedies, it took Russell several months to cope, but with prayer, family, and friends, he’s triumphed.
“It was hard, for not only me but our entire community,” said Russell.
With all the life experiences Russell has endeavored, one may think it’s a bit too much for a young man of his age. He has managed to balance the scales of life very well and has great athletic ability. He certainly has the potential to be a great college football player.
