Personal Statement
JAMES A. "JAG" GREEN - UPDATE: 7' WINGSPAN ! June 2014
35" ARM LENGTH 10" HAND SIZE full 6'7" HT. 320 LBS. WT.
JAG ACCEPTS JUCO SCHOLARSHIP [And continues His Intense Effort to Become as Good as He Can Be as a Student/Athlete]
[posted 06-25-14 by Tom R. Moore JAG's grandfather]
ATTENTION 4-YR SCHOOLS for DECEMBER 2015 RECRUITMENT !
Commitment/Scholarship Announcement. My 6'7" 320 lb. grandson, JAG Green, has made his decision on his JUCO college (and how that fits his 4-year college football and education goals). He has accepted a football scholarship to attend Garden City (Kansas) Community College [GCCC] and play in the Jayhawk Conference. [He and I believe this JUCO football confernce indeed is one of the best in the Nation.] JAG chose from among several good JUCO programs (including Fullerton CC and other CC's in California). Last December (2013) we met OL Coach Jared Powers (at a combine in Atlanta) who since then has become the new 2014 GCCC offensive coordinator (and O line coach). He and JAG seem quite well-suited for each other. We are optimistic that JAG will have the chance under Coach Powers to become a great JUCO OT and learn well and quickly. We are optimistic that JAG can have an immediate positive impact at GCCC against outstanding competition.
JAG's Terrific Academic Progress. JAG will be a transfer student when he starts at GCCC in August. He will transfer with six hours of college level credits from Tallahassee Community College [TCC] (likely with a 3.0 or 3.5 GPA, with one course being college level English). Below is a recap on the terrific academic progress that JAG has made:
2 years ago JAG had NO prospects. He had the worst high school transcript that one might imagine (13 F's, 11 D's, a 1.24 GPA and no chance to be academically eligible to play in his senior year in high school, though he wished to). [He had been a varsity starter as a freshman on a very good h.s. basketball team; but, after becoming academically ineligible never played h.s sports again.] JAG pointedly decided in July 2012 (more on that from him, below) that he wanted to turn his life around. He knew he had size and athletic ability. Then at age 18 he accepted that he had to succeed academically IF he ever was to have any chance for a college education.
Since then, I personally have watched him work as hard as one could ever see any young man work to recover from a lifetime of academic neglect of his studies. He now is focused, and has become intense about achieving his educational (and football) goals. He has developed into a terrific young man, with a work ethic second to none, including the wonderful trait of his now having an absolutely amazing and remarkable amount of daily perseverance to become the best that he can be. Below is a recap of what I have witnessed:
In January 2013 JAG dropped out of high school, purposely in order to attend adult education classes to earn his Florida G.E.D. ["We" learned the hard way (in the Fall of 2012) that he never would achieve a 2.0 h.s. GPA in order to graduate in the "normal" way.] He indeed received that G.E.D. in June 2013, after attending classes for 5 months, 3 hours per day, 5 days per week. This earned his family's support to enable him to attend a post-grad prep school [the Atlanta Sports Academy] in the Fall of 2013. He thus played his first snap in a football game at any level in September 2013. He learned (as did his ASA coaches) that he certainly does have tremendous potential as a football player, and yet still had a long way to go academically.
In January 2014, JAG seriously began the educational catch-up program that he clearly needed. He took 15 hours in the Winter-Spring semester at Tallahassee Community College (TCC). He took 12 hours of called "developmental courses" that TCC required of him before he could take any college level English or math. He made a 3-hour "B" in the only course that he can transfer for college credit. At present, he is taking 6 hours in the summer term at TCC (which ends July 22). He is finishing the last of his developmental courses and taking his first college level English course. He currently has a high B or low A in that course.
JAG will seek an Associate of Arts certificate from GCCC and hopes then to play football for a four year college and graduate with a degree in psychology.
JAG Under the Radar. Today JAG remains very much "under the radar" of everyone who follows high school football players and evaluates and ranks them. No wonder since he never played in a single h.s. game. However, now he can and does bring himself to the recruiting table for the welcomed scrutiny by all of those who follow and scout JUCO players. He should soon be known to many recruiting coaches who will be helping to place excellent JUCO players in four year colleges. [But, we have not begun (other than with this posting) to contact NCAA schools, and do not plan on doing so for quite some time. It is still early for JAG.]
I must add that there already are some wonderful testimonials from coaches about JAG. There certainly is evidentiary confirmation of his size, athleticism, work ethic and obviously great potential. His coaches have greatly enjoyed him as a hard worker who has progressed impressively well under them in a very short time. I have a number of their comments in recorded videos. He has worked extremely hard to earn such comments. He still continues to work out at the gym almost every day. And, loves doing so. Just last night, for fun after gym, he and I measured his "wingspan" for the first time. It is 7' (84" or maybe only 83 3/4"). That figure meant nothing to me at first. Then, I spent some time on the Internet to compare his number with that of other big tackles. I then realized how unusual it really is for a player to have a 7' wingspan. I learned that not even NFL OT draftees boast that number very often. Combined with his arm length (35") and hand size (10"), he has the physical measurements to accompany his height and weight to justify judging him as very promising "newbie" to the sport .
JAG does have a chance to become and be a "great" not just good, football player, and a fine student/athlete. [Not incidentally, I believe and expect that he will achieve his graduation goals, not just his football goals.] His quickness with his feet (see attached video) along with his basketball background, promise to make him a player of considerable interest in coming months!
FOUR-YEAR COACHES, PLEASE PUT BIG JAG GREEN ON YOUR OT WATCH LIST FOR RECRUITMENT. HE WILL BE TALKING ABOUT "THE NEXT LEVEL" FOR HIMSELF WHEN HE FINISHES PLAYING FOR GCCC IN 2015!
THANKS. Tom R. Moore, JAG's grandfather [850-321-7770]
[The statement below is by JAG Green, as told to his grandfather]
On February 16, 2014, I turned 20. Yes, I am 6'7", weigh 320 lbs. (and likely will trim down some by the time I report to GCCC in August). I do have a 35" arm length and learned for the first time yesterday (honest) that I have a 7' wingspan (or 83 3/4"). It was great fun to learn this past Fall (2013) that I really am an athlete who, with continued hard work, can expect to become an excellent football player. I am grateful that I am being given such a wonderful chance at this very late date (with zero high school football playing time). Many good people have been helping me to perhaps become a "great" football player (as well as a good student). That's what I want. I dream that is possible. I certainly can work hard, and will continue to work very hard, to be as good as I can be. I can say today that I have greatly enjoyed my becoming and being an offensive tackle with the Spartans of the Atlanta Sports Academy in 2013. Today, I am excited about playing in the Jayhawk Conference for Garden City Community College. I really am looking forward to being coached by Coach Jerod Powers. I will love trying to become as good as James Carpenter, who played for Coach Powers in the Jayhawk Conference and then became an All American at Alabama and a first-round NFL draft choice. Whew! His is an inspiring story.
The Recent (2012) Beginning to My Now Very Serious Dreams. I want coaches to know that I experienced a life-changing event at the wedding of one of my aunts in June 2012. My Great Uncle Jim, a big guy himself, cornered me at the reception. He talked to me for about two hours. He noted my huge body and asked whether I was doing anything to try to earn a college football scholarship to pursue a college education. We had an intense and long discussion that included my telling him about my woeful academic record and how, because of that, I never was able to play after my freshman year of high school. [I did play as a starter on a very good varsity basketball team.] Uncle Jim convinced me that, even though then already 18, I still had a chance to turn my life around and find a path to a college education.
Today, I am proud that I have made and am continuing to make significant progress in my effort to prove him to be right about my potential. I believe, with the help that wonderful people are giving to me, I can do this.
My Plan for Fall 2014, and Beyond. Since January 2014, I have been taking courses at Tallahassee Community College [TCC]. I took 15 hours in the Winter-Spring semester and now have 6 hours in the summer term. I will finish summer classes on July 22, 2014. At that time I will become a transfer student and will have successfully completed all five of the "developmental courses" that TCC required me to take before I could take college level English or math. I made a three hour "B" in my first college level course in the Spring semester and expect to make an A or a B in my first college level English course that I now am taking. In other words, I expect to transfer 6 hours toward my AA certificate (and will have a 3.0 or 3.5 GPA on my TCC transcript).
I do want to earn a college degree, while enjoying this sport that I have come to love so much.
Please let me or my grandfather know of your interest (consistent, of course, with NCAA rules). My grandfather will provide further news of my academic and football progress as we have news to report (also being consistent with NCAA rules). He gladly will report on my ongoing efforts to improve my strength and physical condition. Thanks for your attention to this posting.
JAMES ANTHONY "JAG" GREEN
