Dandy Dozen: Why Powdersville linebacker Jalen Rambert is 'just different' from the rest

On Friday nights, Powdersville linebacker Jalen Rambert is the heart and mind of the Patriots’ defense.

He’s a menacing 6-foot-1, 240-pound machine with uncanny quickness. Not many match his prowess, size and intelligence; hence his selection as No. 8 on the Upstate Dandy Dozen list.

Rambert is a three-star recruit on 247Sports but there’s more to him than what meets the eye on Fridays.

He’s just different – on and off the field.

Late starter, early bloomer

“I’d say my mom (had a big) influence (on me) just because she didn’t want me playing (football),” Rambert said of his introduction to football. “She didn’t let me play until sixth grade. So, I’d say her holding me out kind of had a bigger influence than (my dad) had in getting me to play.”

Rambert is the son of Bernard Rambert, a former running back for the Clemson Tigers from 1999-2002.

But football wasn’t precedence while Jalen was younger. Bernard never even mentioned he played at Clemson … Rambert found that out when Bernard’s co-worker brought it up at a cookout.

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“They just knew (I) went to school there,” Bernard said of his kids’ knowledge about his playing days. “(My friend) put in this tape in from my senior year, I think the game I broke my foot, and they had a picture and all that stuff. They were like, ‘Daddy, you never told us!’ So, it was pretty cool. But (Jalen’s) always been into (football) because I’m always around watching it.”

Before putting on shoulder pads, Rambert was putting on shin guards. He first played soccer, his mother’s favorite sport. Rambert still plays and is on Powdersville’s varsity squad.

Once Rambert finally suited up, his footwork and intelligence were special early on. In middle school, he was suggesting plays and adjustments to his coaches. When he was a freshman, he was stamped as one of the best players on the team.

“Week three, we were playing Clinton High School and it was his first game as a varsity player,” Powdersville coach Robert Mustar remembered. “After that game, it was clear as day who the best defender was on the field and it was a freshman named Jalen Rambert.”

A mechanical engineer at heart

In his free time, Rambert is probably fixing something he purchased on Facebook Marketplace.

“The main thing he does is he buys four-wheelers, tinkers around with them, and sells them,” Bernard said. “He worked up from there and the next thing you know, he's doing it with cars. Mechanical engineering is what he wants to do, so that's what he does.

“(I’ll ask him) what are you doing today? ‘I got to go to North Carolina and get this four-wheeler.’ And two months later, he's gone through two other four-wheelers and a dirt bike, and now there's a car in the driveway. He drives that for like a month and then he sells that and gets another car. And he just keeps making money as he goes, but he really just wants to tinker around with the engine.”

Rambert is now like an at-home handyman. He’ll take on tasks like changing the oil and fixing the dish disposal.

“He loves doing that stuff,” Bernard said. “So as a parent, you love seeing that and having a kid that knows what he wants to do and has his goal set. And I think whatever he wants to do, he can accomplish.”

Mature state of mind

Bernard said his son has always been mature and humble.

He notices Rambert doesn’t participate in the nonsensical conversations he’ll overhear from other high schoolers. He doesn’t listen to much of the same music Bernard hears his teammates play. Together they share thoughtful conversations on road trips, which are some of Bernard’s favorite times.

“It’s just different,” Bernard said of his son’s maturity and interests.

Rambert doesn’t talk about himself much and had a modest response when told he was on the Dandy Dozen list. He could care less about the spotlight shining on him.

Even on social media, Rambert stopped posting his college offers on Twitter.

“I’m still getting (offers) in from some big D1s, but I just stopped posting (them),” Rambert said. “I just figured there wasn’t really a point in sharing it out there anymore.”

The last offer Rambert tweeted was from Coastal Carolina on Jan. 25. Previous offers he posted were from also Appalachian State, West Virginia, Old Dominion, Arkansas, Virginia Tech, Middle Tennessee and UAB.

“He’s not about going out, being seen, partying and all that stuff,” Bernard said. “I mean, we found out that he was going to the prom the night before. Had no clue, didn’t think he was going.”

Joshua Miller covers high school sports for The Anderson Independent-Mail. Have questions, story ideas, scores and stats involving high school athletics? Send them to his email at jdmiller@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter: @NameIsJoshua

This article originally appeared on Anderson Independent Mail: Why Powdersville football linebacker Jalen Rambert is “just different”