By Rubin E. Grant
Mountain Brook junior quarterback John Colvin doesn’t pinch himself every time he steps on the football field to make sure he’s not dreaming.
But he is living the dream as the Spartans’ starter after growing up watching Hamp Sisson and Strother Gibbs play quarterback for Mountain Brook. Sisson, who graduated in 2018 and is now a junior at Furman, and Gibbs, who graduated in the spring this year, were both three-year starters.
“It’s crazy to think I’m playing where they played,” Colvin said. “I always watched what they were doing and now I’m doing it.”
Colvin didn’t find out until the middle of the summer that he would be the starter ahead of junior Benjamin Parrott and sophomore John Cooper. Mountain Brook coach Chris Yeager just wanted to let the competition play out.
“We’ve had two quarterback changes in six years with Hamp and Strother, so it’s not something we were used to,” Yeager said.
Colvin, a 6-foot-3, 180-pound left-hander, was pleased to get the starting nod, although it came as a surprise.
“I was happy, but it was a crazy moment,” he said. “I hadn’t started in the seventh, eighth or ninth grades, but I was the starter on the junior varsity last year.
“It’s been a blast. I’m enjoying every moment of it, practicing and playing with my friends.”
Colvin has had a solid season. Last week, he completed 9 of 13 passes for 122 yards and two touchdowns as Mountain Brook (7-1, 5-0) clinched its second consecutive Class 6A, Region 5 championship with a convincing 49-14 victory at Homewood. Both of his touchdown passes went to Sims Brown, covering 15 and 41 yards.
“I think the season has been pretty good,” Colvin said. “I’ve had some ups and downs, but I hope my best games are ahead of me.”
Yeager likes how the first-year starting quarterback has performed.
“John has done what we expected,” Yeager said. “He’s a very cerebral guy and he competes.”
Colvin, who also plays basketball for the Spartans, has been playing quarterback since he was in the third grade. He describes himself as a multidimensional signal caller.
“I try to be a pocket passer and run when I need to,” he said. “I also try to be a leader and a good game manager.”
Colvin says it helps having experienced receivers such as Brown and Jake Thompson, both seniors, and junior Jackson Beatty. All three started last year.
“We have some great receivers,” he said. “They make my job easy.”
Family Affair
John Colvin is the third Colvin to play for Yeager, following older brother Tyler, a wide receiver, and Sam, a defensive end. Tyler is now in medical residency at UAB and Sam is a student at Auburn, but they keep up with how their younger brother is doing.
“They come watch me when they can, but they also watch our (live-streamed) games on the NFHS Network,” John Colvin said.
Mountain Brook plays its final region game Friday at Chelsea and closes the regular season Oct. 28 at home against Austin. The state playoffs begin Nov. 7. The Spartans are hoping to make another deep run in the postseason after reaching the Class 6A semifinals last year.
“We’ve gotten better every week,” Colvin said. “The Thompson game was rough (a 51-0 loss on Sept. 24), but it helped us grow as a team. We’re starting to click and build some momentum.
“If everyone keeps giving their all and things keep trending upward, I think we’ll have a chance to win it all.”
Week 8 Scores
Class 7A
Hoover 49, Tuscaloosa County 7
Thompson 48, Oak Mountain 0
Vestavia Hills 34, Spain Park 6
Class 6A
Mountain Brook 49, Homewood 14
Class 5A
Pleasant Grove 42,
John Carroll Catholic 12
Briarwood Christian was off
Week 9 Schedule
Homewood at Briarwood Christian
Thompson at Hoover
John Carroll Catholic at Wenonah
Mountain Brook at Chelsea
Hewitt-Trussville at Oak Mountain
Tuscaloosa County at Spain Park
Gadsden City at Vestavia Hills
