The Carver High School Tigers in Columbus are loaded with talent again this year. We’ve already spoken with two of the Tigers Division I prospects – Javontay Smith and Jawon Pass. They aren’t alone in the circus that is major college recruiting. They’ve got a teammate – a really big, really strong teammate – who is ready to take a bite out of opposing offenses. T.J. London, a senior, has been a hot commodity this year. The big defensive lineman has had the attention of college scouts for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is his enormous size. But London is more than just a big kid. He’s fast, athletic, and plays with tremendous intensity. Carver is poised to make a deep playoff run this year and London is one of the reasons why.
T.J. London plays on Carver’s defensive line. At his size, he’s almost Carver’s entire defensive line. And yet, he almost wasn’t. London had an eventful summer, transferring for a very brief period to Central High School in Phenix City. Before school began, he decided to return to Carver. The Georgia High School Association ruled him eligible because he never attended classes at Central. So now he’s back with the Tigers.
A 6’4”, 340-pound tackle, London is, believe it or not, a former basketball player. “When I got to high school, I played basketball. But I figured that football would take me farther than basketball. I had been playing football for a long time growing up and I loved it. So I concentrated on it,” he says.
That was a good move on London’s part. He grew – and I mean really grew – into an elite-level defensive lineman. A three-star recruit on most recruiting boards, he’s a big, strong kid who moves well and can disrupt the entire offensive line on his presence alone. He finished last year with 68 tackles, 20 tackles for a loss, eight forced fumbles, and 13 sacks.
London originally committed to Louisville but has since stepped away from the Cardinals. He remains un-committed to a university and doesn’t have plans to make an announcement any time soon. However, he still has at least eight offers on the table, all from Division I programs. At the moment, he isn’t worried about where he will play in college. He wants to win and he’s willing to do anything it takes to see that happen. “My role this year is to lead my team, do my best, and do whatever it takes to win,” he says. Where does he look when the workouts get tedious and routine monotonous? To the other two young men featured in this space. “They make me work harder. I don’t want anybody outworking me.”
A lot has been made of London’s de-committal to Louisville and his flip-flop from Carver to Central back to Carver. In spite of those distractions, London remains committed to Carver’s cause this year, and that’s winning a state championship. Last season was the only year since 2006 that the Tigers played fewer than 13 games. London and his teammates didn’t like the way last year ended and they want to make the most out of their senior season. Especially London, who doesn’t want anything to shift his focus from what he feels is his most important task this season – winning in Week 15. After that, he’ll worry about where he will play his college football. Until then, he wants to win each game each Friday night. All the way into December.
