By Rubin E. Grant
John Paul Head would rather not hear it. So please don’t tell him about the eye-popping statistics he put up in Vestavia Hills’ final three regular season football games.
“I don’t like to keep count,” Head said. “It could make my ego go up.”
Head getting the big head would be understandable considering what the junior quarterback did in leading the Rebels to victories against Oak Mountain, Tuscaloosa County and Helena.
He accounted for 303 yards total offense and five touchdowns (1 passing, 4 rushing) in a 42-21 rout of Oak Mountain on Oct. 14.
He accounted for 353 yards total offense and six touchdowns (5 passing, 1 rushing) in a 59-18 demolition of Tuscaloosa County on Oct. 21 that secured the Rebels’ first playoff berth since 2019.
He accounted for 331 yards total offense and four touchdowns (1 passing, 3 rushing) in a 44-24 shellacking of Helena last week.
Add it all up and that’s 987 yards total offense and 15 touchdowns in three games.
“I don’t know of any player in the state who is more important to his team than JP is to us,” said Robert Evans, Vestavia Hills’ first-year head coach. “As he goes, so we go.”
Evans said it’s remarkable what Head has done given he didn’t go through spring practice with the Rebels to learn their new offense because he was helping the Rebels’ baseball team reach the Class 7A semifinals. He’s a slugging third baseman and college baseball prospect.
“He’s only five months into playing in our offense,” Evans said. “Our passing reads are important as well as our runs and he’s done both well.”
On the season, Head has accounted for 2,444 yards total offense (1,461 pass, 983 rushing) and 33 touchdowns (14 passing, 19 rushing).
“I think I’ve had a good year for it being my first year as the starting quarterback,” Head said. “I wish we could have gotten a few more wins.”
Dad StepsIn
Head is the son of former Vestavia Hills and Ole Miss quarterback Paul Head, but the younger Head said he doesn’t play the position because of his dad.
“When I played Little League, I played running back,” John Paul Head said. “But as I got older and my dad saw how hard I could throw the football, he started teaching me his wisdom of playing quarterback.
“We talk about football all the time. Every Saturday morning, we break down film.”
At this stage, John Paul Head might be ahead of his dad as a quarterback.
“He won’t admit it, but I’m better than he was,” Head said with a laugh.
Evans believes the younger Head could play football at the next level, although he’s barely 6 feet tall. His dad was three inches taller when he played.
“I think he could play somewhere in college, but he’s only 6-0, 210-215 pounds,” Evans said. “But I think he’s going to go the baseball route.”
Last spring, Head had a .303 batting average with a .473 on-base percentage, eight doubles, a home run, 21 runs scored and seven stolen bases.
Since he won’t be a senior until next year, John Paul Head is keeping his options open.
“I don’t know yet which one I (will) play in college,” he said. “I’m getting a lot more looks in baseball right now.”
That could change if Head continues to play quarterback the way he has this season. He missed the second half of Vestavia Hills’ 34-14 loss to Thompson on Sept. 2 because of a concussion that kept him sidelined the following week in the Rebels’ 20-14 loss to rival Hoover.
“I was getting thrown around in that Thompson game,” Head said. “I think I hit my head on the ground.
“I had a concussion once before and it feels like you’re tasting blood in your mouth and you’re dizzy. It took me a week to really feel like I was back to being myself.”
The loss to Hoover left the Rebels with a 1-3 record, but they closed the regular season 5-1 with the only setback coming in a wild 45-37 shootout at Hewitt-Trussville on Oct. 7.
Head is looking forward to the state football playoffs. Vestavia Hills (6-4) will visit Austin (7-3) Friday in a first round Class 7A game.
“I’ve never gotten the experience of playing in the playoffs before,” Head said. “It’s a big deal. I’m really ecstatic about to be in it.
“I think on any given day in 7A, any team can beat another team. We’ve just got to play well.”