On Saturday I interviewed Petal’s Javon Patterson for the final time in his high school career as he walked off the field of the Alamodome at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. It was a fitting moment — it was three years ago at that same event that I first asked Javon for an interview.
I wanted to talked to him about Anthony Alford, a teammate and friend who he had traveled to San Antonio to watch participate in the All-American Bowl. Faced with the job of putting together a few stories on Alford’s experience at the event, I turned to Patterson to see if I could get a comment or two about Alford as a player and person; what he thought it was that allowed Alford to perform at a high level. He politely declined my request.
At the time he didn’t feel comfortable with the spotlight being turned from Anthony to him, just a freshman that year. That’s why it was again fitting when, now a senior participating in the All-American Bowl himself, many interviews later, Patterson’s humility remained fully intact as I talked to him.
When asked about how he thought he performed in the game, against some of the nation’s best players, Patterson said he’d leave that for others to determine. More comfortable in the spotlight, but not comfortable turning the spotlight on himself.
I’ll tell you how he performed, though — he performed well. Very well. All-star type events can be tricky to assess on an individual basis. There’s a lot of rotation and an attempt to throw things together quickly. Skill players can shine, but they can also be overshadowed simply based on the coaches and players around them doing certain things.
Although the offensive line is often overlooked, it also happens to be one of the easiest to assess in that sort of setup. I’m not especially knowledgeable about technique on the line, but I do know that you win or lose your battle. Patterson won most of his. He sat only about three offensive drives all game, and in the first half I counted approximately one snap on which he didn’t control the defensive tackle lined up against him (Patterson played left guard).
The three men that coached him in high school — Marcus Boyles, Pete Holman and Steve Buckley — will all tell you Patterson is poised to succeed at the next level. Maybe even beyond. If there was any further proof needed, he provided it on Saturday.
Of course, lining up against talented high school seniors is different than lining up against three-year college veterans with the same type of talent, but there’s no reason to doubt his ability to make an impact at Ole Miss and make it immediately. Many who know the program better than I do believe he will end up starting as a freshman.
He would never tell you that. He’d talk about the work in front of him. I’m telling you, humble or not, Patterson is ready for what’s in front of him.
It’s about time for me to turn the page as well. The U.S. Army All-American Bowl officially marked the end of the football season for me — I won’t cover another game until August. With our magazine in the rearview mirror and the calendar turned to 2015, it’s time to move on to something new.
