MACON — Master Sargent Michael Johnson takes his role with the Noxubee County High School football team seriously.
Johnson is the pastor of the Tabernacle of Mercy, Ministry of Jesus Christ in Columbus. He meets with the team Wednesday nights for religious counseling, leads the team through a devotion during the pregame meal on game nights, and attends all of the games.
“Young men need mentors,” Johnson said. “A lot of those young men don’t have that. I along with the coaches, we are trying to instill values they wouldn’t get anywhere else. We are there to show them how a young man is supposed to act and how they are supposed to do things.
“We mentor from a natural and spiritual point of view. We give the players a chance to share with us so we can have some input in their lives and help them along the way. Some young people make bad decisions because they don’t have anyone they can talk to before making that decision. They don’t have someone who can steer them in the right direction.”
Noxubee County sixth-year head coach Tyrone Shorter had others steering him in another direction when he came to Macon as an assistant coach in 1998.
“A lot of people said, ‘Why are you going there?’ ” Shorter said. “They said, ‘Noxubee County has nothing but a bunch of thugs.’ When I got here, I found that was not the case. These were good kids. They just needed structure and discipline. If you instill structure and discipline, winning will eventually take care of itself.
“We do everything together. Everyone wears the same socks. There is no I in team. We are family. We don’t shy away from the tradition of the program or the expectations that come with it.”
Johnson said the players have an opportunity in the Wednesday sessions to talk about their problems. They have a chance to receive guidance.
“We try to steer the players the right way at home and in the classroom,” Johnson said. “You are just as good on the football field, as you are in the classroom and at home. If you learn how to do things at home in excellent way and in the classroom in an excellent way, then you will do things on the football field in an excellent way.
“We try to instill values in these young men. We help them learn what to expect from life when you get prepared for life and what will happen in life if you don’t get prepared for life. A lot of players will not play pro ball, so education is important.”
Jeffery Simmons enters the season as one of the state’s top defensive players. A 6-foot-4, 272-pound defensive lineman, Simmons recently was named to The Clarion-Ledger’s Dandy Dozen, which recognizes the state’s top football players. He will be highly recruited this season and will anchor the defense for the reigning Mississippi High School Activities Association Class 4A state champions.
“The coaches really put a lot on us,” Simmons said. “They do it to make us better. Nobody gets a shortcut or an off day. They really demand discipline. We know the expectations of the program. We all want to win. However, you have to spend the rest of the year getting your mind right to win.”
Johnson feels his calling is similar to that of Shorter and the assistants. The job is to save lives and to lead players in the right direction.
“A lot of young men get themselves in hot water because they have never been coached at home,” Johnson said. “They have not had that male figure at home to steer them in the right direction. These young men get in trouble because they make decisions based on what they know. They don’t have anyone to confide in to make the right decision.”
Shorter feels he made the right decision when he accepted a job to become M.C. Miller’s assistant prior to the 1998 season. Shorter later became the associate head coach for four seasons before taking over the head position in 2010.
When Shorter took over for Miller, he asked Johnson to join the program as its chaplain and to lead its Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) work. He said he knew Johnson from their jobs at Noxubee County High and that he thought Johnson would add a valuable piece to the program.
“He is a good friend, and I have been to his church and I believe in him,” Shorter said.
Shorter also believes Noxubee County High has the right mix of men leading the players. He often says his assistant coaches are among the best in the state, and he doesn’t hesitate to recognize them credit for their hard work and contributions to the game plans. As a result, the Tigers have won three state championships in the past seven seasons.
“The hardware is nice,” Shorter said. “However, I will tell you something even nicer than that. This Father’s Day, I had six former players send me a ‘Happy Father’s Day’ text. I also had seven of my current players do that. To get a text, to get a phone call, to have a former player say, ‘Thanks coach, I made it because of you,’ that will bring you to tears. It’s better than any championship, too.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Scott Walters on Twitter @dispatchscott
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
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