Jacket leader

Published 5:45 am Tuesday, August 7, 2018

After three years of wearing No. 42, NISH senior Ja’Braylon Spencer wanted to make a change.

The only problem proved to be one of size.

“No.6 is one of my favorite numbers because that’s what LeBron (James) wears,” said Spencer. “I wanted to wear six and I actually had it but there was a size issue so Cam Blake go six and I got seven.

“It wasn’t really a big deal. It’s a good number.”

So NISH’s No. 42, who terrorized opposing blockers and ball carriers last season, is going to finish his Yellow Jacket career in 2018 with a single-digit number in the program, but still a terror on the field.

Spencer, who averaged around eight tackles a game last season, also starts 2018 with his college future decided as the senior linebacker/rushed end gave a verbal commitment to Louisiana-Lafayette two weeks ago and will be a Ragin’ Cajun come the 2019 season.

“They’ve been recruiting me since early in my sophomore year and they recruited me hard for almost two years,” said Spencer. “I have a great relationship with Coach (Michael) Desormeaux. For me it was all about the relationship and that’s what made me commit.”

Recruited by Arkansas State, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Northwestern State, Nicholls State, Southeastern Missouri and Grambling, Spencer was also having conversations with LSU. But when former UL coach Mark Hudspeth was relieved of his coaching duties, Spencer wasn’t sure what was going to happen to his future.

“Coach Desormeaux was under Coach Hud (Hudspeth) and whenever he left I wondered if Coach Desormeaux was going to leave too,” he said. “That’s who I had the relationship with so I was glad when he came back under Coach (Brian) Napier.”

And with Desormeaux staying with Napier, it was very easy for Spencer to say yes when the offer of a scholarship came.

While the talented player weighed the many offers on the table, there was one thing that always stood out for him as he pondered where he wanted to go to college.

“Staying close to home wasn’t a big deal for me. What I wanted was to feel a family environment,” said Spencer. “Coming from NISH, we have a family environment here and that’s what I was looking for and that’s what UL showed me.”

So with his future secured, Spencer can now focus on leading the Jackets’ defense and causing terror in the opposition backfield for another year.

“I think what really motivated me to step up last season was knowing that I had big shoes to fill,” said Spencer. “I was playing under Brant Leslie and Trevonte Norbert and  the other guys, I knew that I had to step up my game.

“It was time for me to step up.”

Spencer always had a nose for the ball, it was just how he played the game. He plays rush end, outside linebacker, can play in the middle as well.

“They float me around where they need me on defense,” he said. “But I usually start at rush end. I do whatever the team needs me to do. If I need to be rush end, I’ll play rush end. If they need me to play middle, I’ll play middle.

“Whatever they need to put the team in a better place, I’ll do.”

The NISH senior figures that he’ll be playing more of an outside linebacker role at the next level and the get ready for it, worked on dropping into coverage of the summer.”

Now that his senior year approaches, Spencer is ready to help lead the Jackets into the playoffs, a place that NISH hasn’t been in three years.

Knowing that a lot of the leadership role on the team is going to come from him, Spencer is ready for that pressure.

“It’s something that I’ve talked with my dad a lot about,” he said. 

“I just have to keep my composure. 

“I want the younger guys to look up to me as a leader and I want to be able to lead them in the way that we’re supposed to be going.

“I know that I have to work hard every day and have to be prepared for anything as a leader.”