It’s hard to make a real impact as a free safety in run-dominated high school football, but Columbia High School junior Jamison Kelly made his presence felt on the gridiron every game en route to earning The Columbian-Progress Defensive Player of the Year.
The 6-foot-1 ball hawk flew all over the field for the Wildcats and finished second on the team with 88 tackles despite playing as the last line of defense. He also had eight tackles for loss, six interceptions, two forced fumbles and nine pass breakups.
Kelly said to be recognized as the most impactful defensive player in Marion County means a lot to him, and it provides validation for all of his hard work.
“I just knew I had to get the job done,” he said. “Whatever it took, I had to do it.”
His shining moment in 2018 actually came mere seconds after his lowest moment. After intercepting a pass earlier in the fourth quarter in the second round of the Class 3A playoffs against Crystal Springs to prevent a touchdown, Kelly was tested on another deep ball.
The Tigers had the ball down 27-22 with 1:17 on the clock and were facing 4th-and-6. Crystal Springs quarterback Ta’Darious Barnes launched a long pass over the middle, and Kelly attempted to high point the ball. However, it went straight through his hands, and Tigers receiver Malik Jones made an acrobatic snag for a 37-yard gain to keep the game alive. On the very next play, though, Kelly showed off his range and went over the top to pick off his second pass of the night and seal the playoff victory.
“Usually I would (get down) and start complaining and think we could lose the game, but at that moment I thought ‘My teammates need me,’” Kelly said. “I was just praying for the next play, and I got the interception.”
Kelly’s six interceptions led Marion County, and he said every time the ball goes up it’s his to come down with.
“It’s mine. If I don’t catch it, you’re definitely not catching it,” he said. “I want to be able to cover like a cornerback and hit like a linebacker. That’s how I want to be.”
The Wildcats’ turnaround from 3-7 in 2017 to 10-3 this season is credited to the closeness of the players, according to Kelly.
“We had a new coach, but it wasn’t just him. We came together as a group,” he said. “The other years we weren’t a family. We were just here to play for ourselves. This year we were playing for each other. It was like ‘You’re my brother, and I’m going to play for you.’”
However, getting knocked out in the third round and a game away from the South State Championship left a knot in Kelly’s stomach. He isn’t worried about putting up even better numbers next season. Instead his eyes are set on one prize only.
“State. That’s my goal.”
While Kelly is still a junior, he has already turned the heads of college recruiters and has received an offer from Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. He plans to attend several camps this summer to gain more exposure and showcase his collegiate-level talent.
Pictured Above: Columbia's Jamison Kelly makes a leaping grab in the playoffs against Jeff Davis. | Photo by Mark Rogers
