PREP SPRING FOOTBALL: Pike Road gets visit from alum Judkins

Former Pike Road star Quinshon Judkins presented a check to the football program at a recent practice. The Patriots recently wrapped up spring drills. (Photo contributed)

By TIM GAYLE

Pike Road wrapped up its spring football drills last week and head coach Granger Shook was happy both with his team’s performance and with former player Quinshon Judkins’ unexpected gift.

Judkins, a former standout at Pike Road who went to Ole Miss before transferring to Ohio State in January, returned home to present the Patriots with a $10,000 donation as proceeds from his name, image and likeness earnings with the Buckeyes. 

“He coached the team through fundamental drills, then he spoke to the team about what he saw at practice -- good, bad and ugly -- and then he donated a check to the quarterback club,” Shook said.

While several of the upperclassmen remember Judkins from his contributions to the Patriots’ 2021 state championship season, a lot of the newer players were starstruck from their meeting, Shook said. 

“Some of them had better relationships with him than others but they all know who he is,” Shook said. “The young kids had stars in their eyes; the older guys, you could tell there’s just a respect there that’s earned, not given.

“He’s walked in those halls, gotten dressed in that locker room and for him to come back -- after achieving goals that those guys want to achieve -- and to give back to his community is something he wanted to do. He told his mom that he wanted to come here and do that.”

In an era where rumors abound about players and their NIL deals, Shook said Judkins’ mother Teva was pleased her son was “being positive with it and giving back to his community.”

Shook felt the same way, especially since the Pike Road fieldhouse was originally a junior high fieldhouse and was too small for a 6A team before Shook expanded the roster this spring.

“There are some player needs,” Shook said. “Our team is growing tremendously. We had mid 60s before I got here (at the start of the 2023 season). Last year we had 74 players. Right now, we had 102 at practice. There are player needs like helmets and shoulder pads that we’re going to use this money for. We’re also expanding our locker room. Our locker room needs some renovation so we’re going to use the other part of this money for our locker room.”

The Patriots wrapped up their second spring practice under Shook last Thursday. 

“Numbers are growing, there’s good excitement,” Shook said. “There’s still a lot to improve on. Any time you lose a Malik Blocton up front, three-year starters at inside ‘backer with Mac Ceman and Cedric Foster, there’s just a lot to replace on defense. But I like where we are. We’re tackling well at times, we’re physical at times, so I see improvement.”