Jaxton Carson decided at the age of five that football was his sport. The 17-year-old Central High School senior recalls that from the first time he played Little League football, he loved three things about the game.
“Running the ball, scoring touchdowns, and everybody cheering for me,” Carson said about what appealed most to him back then.
All grown up now, the talented Red Devil running back is a two-star prospect according to some recruiting websites. He was the team’s leading rusher last season with 223 carries for 1023 yards. Carson was also Central’s leading scorer, tallying up 16 touchdowns in 2015.
To this day, Carson still loves playing the game. It is the only sport he participates in at Central, and he said his favorite things about playing football haven’t changed from those early days; running the ball, scoring touchdowns; and hearing the cheers of the fans in the stands. Now his fan base includes friends, relatives, a special someone, and his parents. When asked if he can distinguish his mother’s voice in the crowd, Carson breaks out a big grin and nods.
“Yes,” Carson said, adding, “but especially my dad. I really hear him.”
His dad, Jason, is someone Carson listens to on and off the field. And with good reason. The elder Carson played football at Central High School back in the day. He was a linebacker for the Red Devils and a member of the 1993 State Championship Team. Of course father and son often talk football. Carson said he values his dad’s advice on the game and other areas of his life, too.
Another person’s input he values is that of Red Devils’ head football coach, Jamey Dubose. Carson has played football all four years of his high school experience, the past three under the direction of DuBose. Carson feels that last season was his “breakout” year, and he attributes much of his growth from his sophomore year to his junior year to DuBose’s coaching.
“Last year I really improved,” Carson said. “I got smarter on the field. I had better vision on the field. I went from playing the game to knowing the game.”
Central is loaded with talent and has a reputation for producing outstanding football athletes. Those who follow high school football say Carson falls into the category of an outstanding football athlete. He has garnered a good bit of attention from college scouts because of his ability to make scoring plays happen. The 5-foot-8, 210-pound running back is also very quick on his feet. His best time in the 40-yard dash is 4.2 seconds. Colleges are paying more attention these days to the student part of student-athlete, and Carson is good there also, holding a 3.2 GPA.
When Carson realized early on there might be someone in the crowd taking a recruiting look at him, he confessed he didn’t handle the pressure too well.
“My first games knowing scouts were there, I was so focused on the scouts, what I thought they were looking for,” Carson said. “Now, I don’t think about it so much and have learned that you have to play your own game.”
Going into the fall season, Carson had not made a decision about where he will attend school next year. He has teammates who have already committed to schools, but he is still taking his time and weighing his options. Carson attended a football camp at The University of Alabama this past summer and was at the Nike Open in Atlanta. In addition to Alabama, he has taken visits to Auburn, UAB, Georgia State, and Georgia Tech. His plan was to have a Top 5 list going into the football season, but he said, with a smile, that list gets adjusted from time to time.
At this point, Carson is trying not to let recruiting be a distraction by focusing on playing his best game each week for the Red Devils and working on fundamentals. Central has a tough schedule for 2016, which doesn’t intimidate Carson at all.
“I like competition,” Carson said. “Playing hard teams helps you play the next team. Our strengths this year are our ability to communicate well with each other because we have played together for a while and we have unity. I really think we can win the championship this time.”
If the Red Devils do win the state title, it means the Central senior will add another championship ring to the Carson household, which would be pretty special. It will be even more memorable because Carson got to do the three things he has loved for a very long time about playing football.
Running the ball. Scoring touchdowns. And, hearing the cheers of the fans.
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Red Devil Looking To Join Club Of Champions
Written by Beth Welch
Photo by George McDuffie
