SCOL Player Profile: Yates 'lives, eats, sleeps, football' for his team
Lead Summary
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
London senior Jeff Yates knows how to tackle adversity, even though he is the Red Raider QB.
Yates, who is entering his second and final season as a Red Raider and a fourth-year varsity quarterback, has transferred from Central Crossing (who took a one year break from football). Then this past winter, Yates was injured in a car accident when the car he was driving flipped.
But through it all, Yates has recovered from his injuries, stayed a Red Raider, and is ready to set the South Central Ohio League ablaze with not only his arm, but his feet.
"I've never seen a team overcome adversity like we have. If you look around, we don't have a locker room. We get dressed under the bleachers (due to construction). We don't take days off because we don't have buildings right now. We have to win, and to do that, we must push ourselves."
Yates' journey to become one of the top quarterbacks in the area didn't happen overnight; it started when he was five or six years old and his father (Michael Hillman) inspired him to play the game.
"He was a coach, and he wanted his son to play. I had an older brother who played, and I looked up to him as a hero. I just picked up the game as I got older. It was all work, no play, and it became a lifestyle for me."
As Yates progressed his football skills, he continued to play the game, but while in youth leagues, Yates (who played tackle his first year) almost had to play in a flag football league after his first season of tackle football due to his size and playing tackle.
Instead of playing flag or staying at the lineman position, Yates’ football career changed at a young age when he decided he wanted to play quarterback.
"I told my dad I wanted to be a QB, and he told me, back then, when you play quarterback, you are the first player to be praised and the first one to be blamed.
"When I was learning QB, I broke glass boards, and I would set up targets, and after a while I found a receiver, Dylan Simpson, who is now the starting quarterback at Central Crossing."
With Simpson catching the football for Yates, the two became quick friends.
"I helped him learn to play the game when we were younger, and now I am so proud of him becoming the quarterback at Central Crossing. We won a championship together with my dad as the coach."
Going from the lineman to quarterback position became a good fit for Yates, as he decided to stay under center.
"I kept playing QB because it was fun. I'm not the smartest guy, but when it comes to football, I have the smarts."
But Yates isn't about getting the limelight for himself; he said he keeps going through the hot two-a-day practices because his team pushes him.
"I'm here for my team and coaches," he said. "Football is what I know. I lived in South Carolina half my life, and living there inspired me to play football. I love the game. For college, I'd like to go back South, but if I get a offer here, that wouldn't be bad either. Football is football."
Football may be a game, but it is a game which Yates and his teammates want to win, and win a lot. Last year, the Red Raiders were 6-4, as he was 63-of-119 for 797 yards passing with 11 touchdowns. Yates also rushed for 685 yards on 185 attempts.
"I want to win games, and it is going to happen," Yates said. "We deserve to be a champion because we work so hard. Football is our life.
"We have a great offensive line, and we can make this happen because of our athletic ability. We have a tough schedule, and it is going to be a tough year, but we are working hard to play our best."
When asked about his favorite moments while playing football, Yates didn't have one of his own, but he wanted to talk about his teammates and what he watches them accomplish on Friday nights.
"I love the offensive line, and I love watching them get pancakes on the defense," he said. "Another thing is to see our wide receivers make a catch on a nice fade route. But what is really memorable is watching us win. Winning is the best feeling, and I think we can do really well this year.
"There is nothing like Friday nights with everyone cheering. I don't think college can compare. Each game, our alumni comes out, families watch us, and friends are made on Friday with the team."
And Yates said one word describes what football means to him: family.
"That is what it (football) is. Football is a family," he said. “Being from Grove City, sometimes I won't get home until midnight. I have guys on the team ask me to stay over so I don't have to drive back at night.
“Even when the tempers are high during games, we still look out for each other. They are like brothers to me, and I know I can go to them or my coaches if I ever need anything."
But Yates said he has three people that have been a big part of being the person he has become. Those people are his girlfriend (Lindsay Carmean), his mother (Tammy Hillman), and his father.
"Lindsay is there for me whenever I need her. We work out together preparing for our sports, and I just know she's going to be there for me.
"My mom does everything for me. She tells me I got to be the leader and captain. She gives me the spark and has made me who I am today."
Yates also spoke about his father.
"He turned me into a football player. He's my father, and I never had a dad until him. He gets me into the weight room and kept me working hard after my injury. He was the first person who said I was going to recover and play football again.
"I look up to him. He believes in me."
The conversation went back to Yates' love of football.
"Football is everything," he said. "I like things to be into football terms, and I use football every day. I live, eat and sleep football. I was a three-sport athlete once (wrestling/track), but I narrowed it down to football because it is a 12-month sport. I will miss high school football, and that is why we ask ourselves after every practice, 'Do we deserve victory'?"[[In-content Ad]]
Yates, who is entering his second and final season as a Red Raider and a fourth-year varsity quarterback, has transferred from Central Crossing (who took a one year break from football). Then this past winter, Yates was injured in a car accident when the car he was driving flipped.
But through it all, Yates has recovered from his injuries, stayed a Red Raider, and is ready to set the South Central Ohio League ablaze with not only his arm, but his feet.
"I've never seen a team overcome adversity like we have. If you look around, we don't have a locker room. We get dressed under the bleachers (due to construction). We don't take days off because we don't have buildings right now. We have to win, and to do that, we must push ourselves."
Yates' journey to become one of the top quarterbacks in the area didn't happen overnight; it started when he was five or six years old and his father (Michael Hillman) inspired him to play the game.
"He was a coach, and he wanted his son to play. I had an older brother who played, and I looked up to him as a hero. I just picked up the game as I got older. It was all work, no play, and it became a lifestyle for me."
As Yates progressed his football skills, he continued to play the game, but while in youth leagues, Yates (who played tackle his first year) almost had to play in a flag football league after his first season of tackle football due to his size and playing tackle.
Instead of playing flag or staying at the lineman position, Yates’ football career changed at a young age when he decided he wanted to play quarterback.
"I told my dad I wanted to be a QB, and he told me, back then, when you play quarterback, you are the first player to be praised and the first one to be blamed.
"When I was learning QB, I broke glass boards, and I would set up targets, and after a while I found a receiver, Dylan Simpson, who is now the starting quarterback at Central Crossing."
With Simpson catching the football for Yates, the two became quick friends.
"I helped him learn to play the game when we were younger, and now I am so proud of him becoming the quarterback at Central Crossing. We won a championship together with my dad as the coach."
Going from the lineman to quarterback position became a good fit for Yates, as he decided to stay under center.
"I kept playing QB because it was fun. I'm not the smartest guy, but when it comes to football, I have the smarts."
But Yates isn't about getting the limelight for himself; he said he keeps going through the hot two-a-day practices because his team pushes him.
"I'm here for my team and coaches," he said. "Football is what I know. I lived in South Carolina half my life, and living there inspired me to play football. I love the game. For college, I'd like to go back South, but if I get a offer here, that wouldn't be bad either. Football is football."
Football may be a game, but it is a game which Yates and his teammates want to win, and win a lot. Last year, the Red Raiders were 6-4, as he was 63-of-119 for 797 yards passing with 11 touchdowns. Yates also rushed for 685 yards on 185 attempts.
"I want to win games, and it is going to happen," Yates said. "We deserve to be a champion because we work so hard. Football is our life.
"We have a great offensive line, and we can make this happen because of our athletic ability. We have a tough schedule, and it is going to be a tough year, but we are working hard to play our best."
When asked about his favorite moments while playing football, Yates didn't have one of his own, but he wanted to talk about his teammates and what he watches them accomplish on Friday nights.
"I love the offensive line, and I love watching them get pancakes on the defense," he said. "Another thing is to see our wide receivers make a catch on a nice fade route. But what is really memorable is watching us win. Winning is the best feeling, and I think we can do really well this year.
"There is nothing like Friday nights with everyone cheering. I don't think college can compare. Each game, our alumni comes out, families watch us, and friends are made on Friday with the team."
And Yates said one word describes what football means to him: family.
"That is what it (football) is. Football is a family," he said. “Being from Grove City, sometimes I won't get home until midnight. I have guys on the team ask me to stay over so I don't have to drive back at night.
“Even when the tempers are high during games, we still look out for each other. They are like brothers to me, and I know I can go to them or my coaches if I ever need anything."
But Yates said he has three people that have been a big part of being the person he has become. Those people are his girlfriend (Lindsay Carmean), his mother (Tammy Hillman), and his father.
"Lindsay is there for me whenever I need her. We work out together preparing for our sports, and I just know she's going to be there for me.
"My mom does everything for me. She tells me I got to be the leader and captain. She gives me the spark and has made me who I am today."
Yates also spoke about his father.
"He turned me into a football player. He's my father, and I never had a dad until him. He gets me into the weight room and kept me working hard after my injury. He was the first person who said I was going to recover and play football again.
"I look up to him. He believes in me."
The conversation went back to Yates' love of football.
"Football is everything," he said. "I like things to be into football terms, and I use football every day. I live, eat and sleep football. I was a three-sport athlete once (wrestling/track), but I narrowed it down to football because it is a 12-month sport. I will miss high school football, and that is why we ask ourselves after every practice, 'Do we deserve victory'?"[[In-content Ad]]