ITG-SEGA / September 2016
“Make the most of yourself, for that is all there is of you,” Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote. Such thoughts hit home with Ware County High senior Hayden Blackburn, whose passions include both literature and line play. A second-year starter at center for the Gators, the 5-foot-10, 215-pounder has steadily ramped up his play in becoming a catalyst for the perennial title contenders from the swamp.
“I just want to be remembered as someone who works his tail off, whether it’s in the weight room, on the field, or in the classroom,” said Blackburn, the son of Jim and Beth Blackburn. “One of our team goals has been about the seniors being able to lead. We’ve not always been good leaders, and lately we have been getting better. But our team goal – yeah, it’s to go 15-0. We all hold each other accountable in the classroom and on the field. If you see someone doing something wrong, you tell them to cut it out. If you see someone struggling, you help them out.”
Ware head coach Franklin Stephens offers this assessment of Blackburn: “Hayden is indicative of what we want our program to represent. He is the model of consistency and dependability. With Hayden, you know exactly what you are going to get every day in every activity. He’s a kid that goes unnoticed because he does everything he is supposed to and does it well. He’s what we as coaches call a ‘do right’ kid.”
In the classroom, Blackburn has fashioned a 3.6 GPA, which now ranks him among the top 35 members of his class. He also scored a 20 on the ACT. His favorite subject is English, and he has an affinity for the likes of the aforementioned Emerson. The Crucible ranks among his favorite reading titles, but Blakburn basically is a non-fiction guy with an eye for online news.
“Although one academic area – math – has not always been the easiest for him, he has always been one to not give up, “ said mom, Beth, who teaches in the Ware County School District. “When Hayden was in second grade, our school system began a basic math fact fluency assessment for students in grades one through eight. Second graders were expected to complete 50 basic addition and subtraction problems in three minutes. This initially presented a challenge for him. However, he continued working to become successful, even though this meant missing a few minutes of recess time so that he could practice his math facts.”
On the field, Blackburn’s level of participation has steadily risen the past few years.
He played his first snap at age five and rose through the ranks from Upward and the recreation department. Then came a year on the freshman roster before playing in a half-dozen varsity games as a sophomore. A former guard, he switched to center upon coach Stephens’ arrival and started every game at that position a season ago. Blackburn said accolades for his success go out to his head coach and the guy who preceded him at center.
“I learned some stuff from Blaine Harper, fundamental stuff, like when you have to step with a certain foot,” Blackburn said. “Some plays you have to bear crawl to get past a nose guard – because he might be slanting a certain way – to get to the linebacker. Coach Stephens has taught me how to get off the ball as fast as I can, keep a low pad level, and be aggressive. One thing he really keeps telling me is that I have to get into a guy’s hips.”
Stephens’ arrival in 2014 brought changes that included a new offensive approach. Blackburn was trying to catch the coach’s eye and said he thinks the tide turned at a defensive camp at Spaulding County. “It was helmets and pads, but we were going full tilt,” Blackburn said. “Our starting center wasn’t there, and I had to step up. We were playing against Tucker, and I had to go against Jonathan Ledbetter (future Georgia Bulldog). I don’t think Coach expected me to hang in there with Ledbetter the way I did, but I think after that, he knew from there on out I could be ‘that guy.’”
Already with a proven reputation on a number of fronts, in the weight room Blackburn has recorded maximum hefts of 265 pounds on the bench press and 330 on the squat rack while cleaning 215. A two-sport athlete, Blackburn will return to the Gator baseball team in the spring with hopes of battling at first base or serving as a designated hitter. Beta Club and National Honor Society memberships highlight his resume, as well as his appointment to the First Southern Bank’s Jr. Board of Directors. He attends Second Baptist Church in Waycross, where he participates in youth group activities and helps maintain church grounds.
Blackburn, whose father is a firefighter and whose grandfather was a police officer, said wearing a badge could be in his own future. “I’m still looking, but ABAC has what I want,” Blackburn said of a future career path. “I’ve thought about DNR (Department of Natural Resources), but my dad tells me to go federal, like with the National Forest Service. But I like being outdoors and around animals. I like to hunt and fish.”
Regardless of the future path, Blackburn’s current road reflects great credit upon him. Stephens readily acknowledges the support of the center’s parents as having been instrumental. Blackburn’s father points to his son’s passion for the game as another key. Both men look to the Gators’ opening playoff game last year, a 16-7 win over Northside (Warner Robins), as proof of the younger Blackburn’s mettle.
“Hayden has a distinct passion for football,” his dad said. “His work ethic to me has been phenomenal, and I attribute that to Coach Stephens. Hayden has just sold out to Coach Stephens. Two days before the Northside game, Hayden suffered a high ankle sprain and by rights probably should have never played. It was swollen, and he was still wearing a boot right up until game time. I don’t know how Hayden was able, but it was just incredible resolve.”
Adds Stephens: “As if I wasn’t already a fan of Hayden, I truly became a fan of his when he sprained his ankle two days before the Northside game and played well against a tremendous opponent. Hayden shows up for everything on time and with a positive attitude of, ‘It’s time to get better.’ I don’t believe he’s ever had a discipline infraction at school. He is a great example of how a student-athlete should function.”
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Incredible Resolve
By John DuPont
