Soldier of God

By Justin Braden

Douglasville, GA –

God saves his greatest battles for his strongest warriors, but his warrior’s weapons are only sharpened against the toughest competition. 

“I wanted to prove to myself that I was good enough to hang with the big boys,” said Ja’Vonte Woods of what got him into football.

The junior defensive back transferred from Illinois after his freshman year, and the higher level of competition at his new school in Georgia was one of the first differences he noticed when he arrived on campus in Douglasville.

“It was a fun season competing with my teammates. They were highly-ranked prospects, so it was fun to see how I ranked up against them. Moving to another part of the country changed my mindset, not just for football, but my entire way of thinking.”

The Douglas County Tigers (13-1, 7-0 Region 5-5A) were a force in Georgia football this season, beginning the season 13-0 before faltering in the playoffs and ending their perfect season one game shy of a shot at the state championship. 

“Georgia is highly competitive. Football isn’t just for fun down here. Down here it’s serious. This is your life, it’s how you’re going to get there, it’s how you’re going to get to college and make it.”

Woods, a junior for Douglas County, stands at 5’11, and 175 pounds, but the strength of his faith in God is immeasurable, and he couples his mental discipline with his physical prowess on the field as he continues to craft himself into a complete player. 

Ja’vonte looks to impose his size and strength on opponents on the field, and he models his game after Dallas Cowboys’ cornerback DaRon Bland, a 6-foot tall, 195-pound athlete who began his career at FCS Sacramento State before finding an opportunity at Division 1 Fresno State for his senior season that would become his door to the NFL. 

“I’m trying to model my game just like how (Bland) has it,” began Woods. “He's really balanced for his size, and lets me see size for size, pound for pound, what I would be able to model myself after to give myself a cutting edge.”

Woods’ mental acuity is evident in the conversation, and the movements and techniques that stand out to him on film are not what average players digest when they watch an NFL game on Sunday.

“I look at the specific way that their fingers and their hands move. How to beat them. How to play against them and how to counter somebody that models their game after them.”

If Ja’vonte were a movie he would be a psychological thriller, leaving his viewers hanging on every movement and each word – uneasy and unsure of what the end of every scene might hold. And that is exactly what his opponents should expect on the field next season. 

“Most receivers, they all have triggers that they do, it lets me get into my opponent's head and show them, not in a cocky way, that I’m better than them, but it makes them think that I’m better than them.”

Woods is putting in the work on the field and getting his name out to recruiters while off the field, and he describes himself as an open book, open to learning more about the game, and open to meeting coaches and connecting with other student-athletes dealing with the same struggles on the difficult journey of being a student-athlete as well.

“If any schools want to reach out to me, that want to get to know me, I'm always open for it. Even some student-athletes, if they want to talk to me and ask me how I’m doing, how have I got this far. If you need something from me, I’m here to help you.”

Ja'vonte understands the psychology of student-athletes, and his ability to connect with his classmates and teammates transcends football, and it is deeply rooted in his faith. The man has superpowers – and in a world where people often forget how to use power for good, Woods is inspirational to all when he uses his energy to motivate other students and student-athletes.

“While I’m at school and at practice I help my team by trying to uplift them. I help them and say God is watching, God is supporting you, and the power that went through Christ can go through you, so don’t give up.”

Those are the words of a Soldier of God.

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