Things are looking good for the Central High School Red Devils. They’ve got a head coach with a championship resume in Jamey Dubose. They are coming off their first region championship since 2011. And they’ve got a true game-changing Division I prospect patrolling the secondary, the kind of player who can shut down an opponent and give the Red Devils offense an opportunity to score and score big.
John Broussard, a four-star cornerback and one of Alabama’s best players at any state, has started for the Red Devils since he was a freshman. That year, while playing Carver-Montgomery, he ripped a pass out of a receiver’s hands in the end zone to help secure a win for Phenix City. The quarterback who threw the pass? Auburn’s Jeremy Johnson. It’s that kind of playmaking that grabbed everyone’s attention. And he’s been making big plays ever since.
Next year, Broussard will join Johnson at Auburn. He chose the Tigers over a pile of other schools. He had a number of reasons why he decided upon Auburn, but one of the main ones is new defensive coordinator Will Muschamp. “He’s a really cool guy. We’ve got a good relationship. He and the rest of the coaches have told me that I could get in there and compete for an opportunity to play early. It’s going to be up to me,” he says.
As a junior, Broussard was named All-State and All Bi-City Second Team. According to Max Preps, during the regular season, he totaled 25 tackles and one interception, a pick he returned 67 yards against Smiths Station. So far in 2015 (at the time of this writing, the Red Devils had only played two games), Broussard hadn’t seen much action on his side of the field. “Nobody has really thrown it my way. I haven’t been targeted yet,” he laughs.
Broussard is on a team loaded with top talent. Still, he knows that he will be one of the leaders his teammates will count on. It’s a job that he takes very seriously. The younger kids look up to him, opponents try to neutralize him, fans all want a little of his attention. Broussard, however, just wants to play football. “I know I need to lead the young guys, to encourage them. I also know that I need to play my best and shut down my side of the field,” he says.
Writing a story like this isn’t easy. I’m sitting at my computer writing for an edition of a magazine that won’t come out until the leaves start changing. And it’s not even Labor Day yet. Broussard doesn’t have many statistics or much game experience in 2015. But neither do his teammates. However, those who have watched him play over the years know how good he is. And they know how driven and determined Broussard is to make the most out of his senior season. A lot of eyes are on him and expectations are high. However, he is more than ready to handle anything that comes his way. “You’ve got to worry about what’s important. You’ve got to keep your head on straight and know what your goals are. And right now, that’s guiding my team to a state championship,” he says.
Player Spotlight/Columbus Valley/October 2015
John Broussard
Central High School
Phenix City, Alabama
Robert Preston Jr.
Four-star defensive back from Central-Phenix City is focused for a state title
