Upholding the standard

By Justin Braden

Dallas, TX –

Jonathan Major knew football was for him when he was only a child. Maybe it was in his blood. Whatever it was had ahold of him early because by age 4, while watching his father coach football in Florida, he knew that the game was becoming a part of him. 

Before his father moved the family to Texas, Major watched his older brother Jaysun play defensive back in Florida, and the experience under the Friday night lights and inside the swampy Florida gyms forged the foundation of his football future.  

“I used to go sit at the weight room with (Jaysun). He used to power lift. I would go sit with him in the weight room when I was 5 or 6. And just seeing all the guys around me working. I knew it was the game for me.” 

Major, a 6 foot 2, 275-pound junior offensive lineman out of Parish Episcopal in Dallas, TX credits his family as his inspiration for getting into football, but now he is carving out his own path, albeit different than that of his family, not only athletically, but academically also as he left the public school system just before the start of the 2023 season. 

“I transferred in on Monday and we played one of the top teams in the state on Friday. I didn’t really understand how serious the environment was and how high the expectations were until we got to the locker room at halftime of the first game, and we were down two scores. You could just feel the energy.”

The Parish Episcopal Panthers (10-3, 4-0 in TAPPS Division 1) won its 5th consecutive championship in 2023, and Major made his impact early on during their championship run, making the switch mid-season from defensive line to offensive line.

“I started originally on defense, and about week 4 or 5, we had an injury, we have a 3-star offensive lineman that got hurt, right before we played against a 3-star defensive lineman. I had never played the position before and I had no experience, but I was just big and physical, and I ended up being a good fit in the position.”

With Major fitting in as the missing piece of the offensive line, the Panthers ran the remaining gauntlet of their schedule, averaging over 52 points per game on offense, amidst a 9-game win streak that culminated in the state championship.

Jonathan’s time on the defensive line helped him cultivate a unique approach to offense and by seeing the game from a defender’s perspective, he was able to unveil the tendencies of his defensive opponents. 

“I love watching film. I break down film analytically. My trainer trains different NFL players and college players, and elite players at that, so he points out a lot of things that we don’t notice on film. I can go back and watch a play 6 or 7 times and notice something different each time.”

Major’s talent on the field is measurable in his highlights, as he opens a gap for a running back off center or when he pulls off tackle to pick up a linebacker on the outside, but his greatest contribution to his team is immeasurable – leadership. 

“One thing that my trainer, coach Brandon Tucker always preaches about is being a leader, both on and off the field. Especially with your teammates by upholding the standard.”

Major mentions coach Tucker, and his offensive line coach Patrick Lewis as positive influences in his growth in football and more importantly, in leadership. 

On the field Jonathan’s teammates know that they can depend on him for considerate criticism, correcting their mistakes, or realigning their focus, but off the field also, they know that he is only a phone call away. 

“I’ll notice things maybe in a drive or in between plays, and I’ll talk the guys through something, and I do that in the most respectful way possible.”

Parish Episcopal football is not only a demanding athletic program, but the school is notorious for the academic standouts that it creates also, and the expectation for student-athletes there is high, on the field and in the classroom. 

“Off the field, I make sure that the guys are doing everything that they’re supposed to be doing. In the school building, and in the classroom. Being a football player in the state of Texas is definitely difficult and taxing, and I know there’s a lot of room to slip up, but if you have the support system off the field it’s easy to stay on track.”

Major knows no fear, and it makes sense after he says his favorite bible verse is from Isaiah, a book of Old Testament prophecy that reads as his mantra. That of a fearless warrior who refuses to back down from challenges and sharpens his steel with steel. 

Isaiah 41:10: So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. 

“I pray before every single game. I feel like God is watching over me and God has protected me throughout my entire life.”

Football is more than a game. It is a showcase of faith, and it takes real faith, not only in God but for student-athletes, faith in themselves as they try to balance academics and athletics in a world that demands more now than ever of its youth. 

Jonathan Major lets his faith shine and continues to uphold the standard, not only for his classmates and teammates but for all student-athletes. 

"I'm a hardcore Christian. No doubt. I think that believing in God and maintaining a relationship with God takes you a lot of ways in life and it's something that I'm not afraid to hide."

Follow Justin Braden on X @jkbradenco for more prep sports coverage and an opportunity to comment on this article and others. Criticism and feedback of the media improve the quality of coverage given to student-athletes.