Johnson C. Smith linebacker Austin Jacques has one last opportunity to leave his mark as an elite Division II defender.

“My personal goal is really to finish the top of the nation at my position, and have the best season I can have, and [as a team] to come out and shock the world,” the senior said at CIAA football media day in July. “Prove to them the work that we’re putting in, in the offseason, is what they’re going to see on the field this year.”  

Finishing fifth in the country with 133 tackles in 2014, Jacques has evolved from an afterthought to essential component of the Smith program.

“It’s some great stuff coming,” Jacques said at the start of preseason drills. “A lot of new additions…I’m able to kind of help the system, because you’ve got older players coming back that know the system, and you can easily go to somebody’s room go over the playbook. The new additions, we’ve got more size, a lot faster, more athletic, and the conditioning is going to be there so you’re going to see some big things.”

After leading the CIAA in tackles last season, Jacques was named all-conference for the first time.

“Every day we have to get better,” said Jacques. “One percent better every day—that’s the philosophy.”

Should he continue to progress, Jacques could earn All-America consideration, if not follow in the footsteps of former teammates Avius Capers and Jovontay Williams, who earned tryouts with the Carolina Panthers. Capers, a receiver, turned his tryout into a training camp opportunity.

“They brought those experiences back and … that was motivation for us to continue to strive and do better,” Jacques said. “It lets you know that it doesn’t matter where you come from—it’s about the work that you put in to get better.”    

With the departure of coach Steve Aycock after a 3-7 in campaign, new coach Kermit Blount is developing a culture of discipline at JCSU. That emphasis has already made a positive impact on the Golden Bulls, who have 45 new players.

“Experience and discipline,” Jacques said. “One thing that he firmly believes in is discipline—being punctual and also conditioning, and I know one thing, we are not going to lose a game this year because we’re tired.”

While JCSU aims for wins on the field, victories also come from community involvement. Jacques and his teammates and looking to do more of it as the program tries to engage with the surrounding neighbors.

“It’s not really just I guess what they can do for us—it’s a lot about what we can do for them,” he said. “[We can] do a lot more this season by actually getting out into the community—into the schools. I know when I was younger, to have one of those college kids or…even one of those high school kids with their jerseys come in and talk to me, I’m like ‘man, I can’t wait ‘til I’m up there!’ For them [and] for us, it’s really just to come out to the games and support—really behind us 100 percent. We’re going to do everything to represent them well.”

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