Why Jayden Hobson treats protecting his Hillcrest quarterback like it's his sister
An offensive lineman’s job is to protect their quarterback. Hillcrest tackle Jayden Hobson takes that security to another level when he treats defending his quarterback like it’s his 7-year-old sister, Kensley.
“I don’t like folks touching my sister, and I don’t like folks touching my quarterback,” Hobson said. “I like keeping them protected.”
Hobson compares Kensley to his footsteps because she acts and is always behind him. He loves spending time with her when he's not doing anything football related.
“He watches out for her like a protector,” Hobson’s stepfather, Jarrod Parker, said.
Inspired by San Francisco 49ers tackle Trent Williams, who wears the same size-14 shoes, Hobson says his play style mimics Williams because he can “punish” and “violate” defenders.
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Hobson is No. 5 on The Tuscaloosa News' inaugural Fab 5 — a list of the top college football prospects from the Tuscaloosa area from the Class of 2023 as ranked by the newspaper.
The 6-foot-5, 293-pound tackle, who 247Sports has not rated, committed to Southern Miss football in June. He chose the Golden Eagles over eight schools after transferring from Paul W. Bryant to Hillcrest in January. He joins a Patriot team that made it to the state semifinals last year and has championship aspirations this year.
Hillcrest coach Jamie Mitchell says Hobson’s skill set and talent level are “up there with some of the best (he’s) ever coached.” Mitchell acknowledged Hobson has to learn more of the Patriots’ system but adores his size and athleticism that can benefit the 6A Region 4 runner-up.
“He's meshed well with everybody (since joining the team),” Hillcrest offensive line coach Burt Ashley said. “He's a fun-loving guy. He’s always got a smile on his face, and the other kids see that, and they gravitate to that.”
Hobson describes himself as a laid back, respectful and quiet person. Yet he switches it when he’s playing. Before games, he likes to remain to himself, then let it erupt on the field.
"(When) it's game day, I've been working hard (for this moment)," Hobson said. "I don't want to talk to nobody. I just want to dominate and (destroy)."
Ashley noticed this change when Hobson became more aggressive and started finishing blocks in one of the team’s early practices.
“Offensive linemen are notoriously nice,” Ashley said. “He kind of set that nice aside and started getting nasty.”
Hobson uses his big-brother alter ego to protect what he values most: his sister and his team.
Derrian Carter is a sports reporting intern for the Tuscaloosa News. Contact him at DCarter@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter @DerrianCarter00.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Southern Miss football commit Jayden Hobson protects QB like sister
