Thursday, November 26, 2015
The 2015 Ursuline football team boasts a defensive front that brings both power and speed, and Jabbar Price represents how lethal and versatile it can be.
The 6-foot-5 senior is a big reason why his team is still playing this late in the year, with the Irish meeting Steubenville a Division IV state semifinal Saturday in Boardman.
“I’m just a good football player — I do things that other people can’t do and I thank God for it,” Price said. “I’m very tall, fast and I can stretch my arms out and make plays. I can read plays and know what you’re going to do and I watch the ball every time.”
Price leads the Irish in tackles with 108, including 19 sacks and 15 tackles for a loss. By his coaches’ estimation, he’s missed just eight tackles all season. He also rotates with his teammates on the offensive line.
“I didn’t really play defensive line until my junior year,” Price said. “But I figured I was fast so I have a good get-off at d-line, so I tried it out and I became a good defensive end.”
Price credits coach Larry Kempe and his staff for guiding him on the football field and his parents for their guidance off of it. Price enjoys and feeds off the head coach’s intensity.
“He yells at me a lot [because] he always wants me to do better,” Price said. “I need to be yelled at. It gets me mad and it makes me better at playing football, so it doesn’t hurt me. I liked getting yelled at.”
Price is undecided about college, but knows football and majoring in business will be part of it. He has offers from Ohio and Toledo.
After helping Kempe to his first regional title, he hopes he can hand him a state championship before he graduates.
“Since I came into high school, that’s all people talk about, going to the state championship and getting a ring,” Price said. “Coach Kempe hasn’t won it and we hope we can give it to him.”
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