By Mike London
mlondon@salisburypost.com
KANNAPOLIS ó Jamill Lott has run for touchdowns, caught TD passes, thrown a TD pass and returned a kickoff for a TD.
He’s started in the defensive backfield, and he’s been a special-teams hero.
He’s also watched most of a lost season from the sideline, wearing a brace and a sling. That’s a character-builder, if there ever was one.
Now it’s Lott’s time to be the starting QB, and the versatile senior is prepared for his latest assignment.
“I spent the summer at camps, working on my footwork, doing accuracy stuff like throwing at tires,” Lott said. “I’m excited. I’m tripping right now.”
It’s not like Brown’s coaching staff is trying to reinvent the wheel. The 6-0, 180-pound Lott has been primarily a defensive back the last two years, but he’s just relearning an old position, not getting a crash course in a new one out of desperation.
“Jamill’s been a quarterback his whole life,” explained James Lott, the secondary coach and Jamill’s father. “But we had (East-West quarterback) Jonathan Efird, so we used Jamill other places. Jamill’s ready for this responsibility. He understands nothing will be given to him, but he has a great opportunity.”
Lott, the jayvee quarterback as a ninth-grader, is grabbing the reins under ideal circumstances.
Brown is as talented at the skill positions as it’s been since Nick Maddox wore No. 20 a decade ago. Lott is surrounded by Oh-my-God running backs, a go-to receiver in T.J. Johnson, and two experienced tight ends entering their third varsity season.
“When he was starting on defense, Jamill still always repped the second team at quarterback and he knows this offense,” tight end Zach Massey said. “Quarterback is not something we worry about. Everyone knows their assignments, and we’ve got a strong offensive line.”
Protection and plenty of weapons. What else could a QB ask for?
Well, there’s health.
Lott had his moments as a freshman, joining the varsity for the playoffs and tossing a touchdown pass on a gadget play as Brown destroyed Parkland in the playoffs.
As a sophomore, he gathered in the opening kickoff and sprinted 87 yards for a TD against South Rowan. He was a starting DB that season, but he also took enough snaps to rush for three TDs.
Expectations were sky-high for Lott entering his junior year. He was slated to start both ways as a receiver/DB, but disaster struck when he was injured in a scrimmage with Scotland County. James Lott remembers his son stayed in several plays and scored a touchdown before he came out and had to admit he was hurting.
The diagnosis was a cracked clavicle. In layman’s terms that’s a broken collarbone, and Lott missed the first seven games.
“When he came back he still wasn’t 100 percent, but he played and played well,” assistant coach Jeremy Ryan said. “That showed everyone how tough he was.”
Lott returned with a bang, stunning Piedmont with an 86-yard TD reception on his first touch. He lit up Hickory Ridge for five catches for 144 yards. Brown lost to Charlotte Catholic in the 3A playoffs for the third straight season, but Lott was fantastic ó seven catches for 163 yards and one TD.
As a senior, he’ll give defensive coordinators nightmares with his elusiveness, and he may surprise people with his arm.
James Lott was a brilliant player in the early 1980s at Brown and is on the short list of men who started the first game of their freshman year for Clemson. He started 42 games in all, was a two-time All-ACC free safety and still ranks among the Tigers’ all-time leaders in punt-return yardage.
James believes Jamill, highly recruitable because of solid academics, could accomplish similar things at the next level.
Division I schools have shown the most interest in Jamill as a cornerback or receiver, but James hasn’t ruled out a future as a safety ó or even a quarterback.
“I think Jamill’s had a great summer, gaining strength and learning more about the offense,” James said. “He’s quiet by nature, but I can tell he’s excited, he’ll become more vocal, and he’s ready to make up for last season. Last year was a lost season for him. It hurt him to watch, and I knew what he was going through. My sophomore year, I was out with a deep thigh bruise.”
Obviously, the Wonders don’t want to jeopardize their QB’s health, but he may be used as a DB on third-and-long or protecting leads late in games. And when the playoffs arrive, Lott could play both ways full-time. He’s that special an athlete.
“If we need him, he’ll be in there,” his father said. “But we also want to be smart.”
Head coach Ron Massey knows the Wonders will miss Efird’s arm, but his successor is quickly winning everyone over.
“We’ve got a whole lot of confidence in Jamill’s athletic ability,” Massey said.