Gentry football coach Brian Little has only one regret, after watching senior quarterback Jarod Cousins pile up yardage in huge chunks both through the air and on the ground this season.
Little’s asking himself why he waited until Cousins’ junior year to move him to quarterback.
Cousins rushed for 1,203 yards and passed for 1,503 more and combined to account for 23 touchdowns. He was a huge offensive cog that helped the Pioneers return to the playoffs, after combining for just three wins in the past two seasons combined.
His efforts earned him the NWA Media Off ensive Player of the Year award for schools in Class 5A and below this season.
“We asked Jarod to play a vital role for us this season and looking back maybe I wished I had pulled the trigger with him as a sophomore and put him at quarterback,” Little said. “Maybe that experience makes him even better as a senior at the position.”
Little said he came to the realization Cousins was truly special, after watching him score 56 points in a track meet last spring.
“You watch him in the discus, high jump, pole vault, hurdles,” Little said. “Man, the kid can do it all. I made the decision to try and do something to maximize his ability. When you’ve got an athlete like that you’ve got to put him in a position to be successful and for the team to have success.”
He more than delivered for the Pioneers on the football field this season, too.
In addition to his big numbers on offense, Cousins led the Pioneers’ defense with 151 tackles (46 solos, 105 assists) to go with three interceptions and four forced fumbles. He also averaged 33.5 yards per punt, including seven inside the opponents’ 20-yard line.
Cousins started at receiver as a sophomore and moved to quarterback as a junior, but he was forced to endure an injury-plagued junior year, which had him watching from the sideline more than playing the game he loves. That was a learning experience on its own, he said.
Cousins stepped forward as a leader on and off the fi eld for the Pioneers this season, Little said.
“It was frustrating for sure,” Cousins said. “From about the middle of the season on it was something I dealt with. I would stay off it and feel good, then get in the game and hurt it again after a few plays.”
Little enjoyed watching Cousins on the football fi eld, but his growth mentally and emotionally was also something special, Little said.
“Seeing the growth of a football player and a young man as a coach is special,” Little said. “Jarod finally realized as gifted and talented as he was he wasn’t going to be able to do any of it on his own.”
Cousins admitted he matured a lot.
“When I was younger, I was a little heathen running around doing what I wanted,” Little said. “But I tried to listen to my coaches when they were trying to coach me up. They helped me a out a lot. Really, I grew up.”
Cousins also said being a senior helped him understand the importance of being a leader. He also acknowledged others tried to tell him, but he didn’t listen when he was younger.
“It takes a lot to be a leader,” Cousins said. “I remember playing as a sophomore and my brother and cousin trying to tell me how to do things, but I didn’t want to listen. It’s a totally different ballgame when you’re a senior and it’s your last year.”