Play It Smart Student Athlete of the Month: Willy Joseph, Jones High School

Again this year, www.NFLHS.com will be featuring a different "Play It Smart" program participant each month. To find out more about the Play It Smart program, visit the Play It Smart web site.

December student-athlete of the month uses life experiences to help program thrive.

Photo: Alicia Taylor, Tiger Beat staff

Willy Joseph embraces challenges on a regular basis. In fact, its something hes been doing his entire life.

Growing up in his native Freeport, Grand Bahamas, Willy learned Standard English in school while his family spoke Creole English at home. Overcoming a language barrier within his household was an everyday challenge.

When Willy moved to the U.S. in December 2000 to live with his uncle and pursue a better education, he left behind his mother and four younger siblings with the hopes of one day helping his family reach a level of prosperity that was limited in the Grand Bahamas. Having an entire family depending on him while adjusting to a new culture and a new school was an immense challenge.

Yet Willy thrived with these challenges and embraced a new one this past September with the advent of the Play It Smart program at Jones High School in Orlando, Florida. Getting students to buy into the Play It Smart program at Jones, a school that is in jeopardy of state intervention after receiving a failing grade on the state F-Cat exam for the third consecutive year, was a monumental task. Thats why Academic Coach Greg Ford and Head Football Coach Darren Randall enlisted Willys help in making the program work at Jones.

Willy is a symbol of what we want Play It Smart to produce, Ford said. When we got started with the program here at Jones, we looked to Willy to motivate and inspire the other kids. Hes responded tremendously.

Willys work with the Play It Smart program at Jones High School has earned him recognition as the December Play It Smart student-athlete of the month, selected from more than 10,000 student-athletes nationwide. Play It Smart, an academic-mentoring program started by The National Football Foundation, places a trained academic coach in underserved high schools to work with student-athletes the entire school year. Now in 128 schools in 84 cities nationwide, Play It Smart strives to harness the passion kids have on the playing field and channel it toward the classroom and community.

Play It Smart was just implemented at Jones High School this past fall, funded as a result of a generous grant given by the Florida Citrus Sports Foundation. Willy is already noticing the difference Play It Smart is making with his fellow teammates.

The program is really helping us come together as a team, he said. People are finding others who are struggling and making sure to assist them in any way they can.

Willy is a big reason for the success, as he took on a leadership role in the early stages of the program and stressed to his classmates how serious a role it should play.

Willy knew the program was here to help him and understood how important it was, Coach Randall said. He had the demeanor, attitude and respect of his teammates to influence his peers and get them to buy into what we were trying to do.

Willys influence is a direct result of the ????. He switched from center to linebacker before his junior year and was named team captain for this past season. He was one of six Jones football players selected to participate in the annual postseason Orlando vs. Tampa All-Star Game. Willy also plays soccer in the winter and runs track in the spring.

Outside of athletics, Willy sports a gaudy 3.7 grade point average and ranks eighth in his class of more than 130. He is the co-chairman of Jones Minority Achievement Committee, a program that takes incoming freshman and works with them through their transition to high school, teaching them about adversity and responsibility. Willy was also one of just 39 kids from around the country selected to attend the Kettering AIM summer program last year. As part of the program, he engaged in college-level coursework, learning about everything from computer programming to calculus to entrepreneurship.

As part of Play It Smart, Willy actively participates in the drug & alcohol prevention services, the life skills development component and the SAT prep classes. He tutors his teammates in math during the teams study hall sessions and consistently reminds his peers about the benefits of the program. Willys extensive involvement in Play It Smart stems from a selfless passion to help his family and to see others succeed in a similar way.

I know that Im the seed for the tree to grow, he said. Im the only one whose been given an opportunity to help my family move up in the world. I also hate seeing kids fail. I need to make sure that kids are getting out of the hallways and putting the necessary time and effort into their studies. It makes all the difference in the world.

Greg Ford has noticed the profound impact that Willys had on the Play It Smart program at Jones High School.

Ive had kids come up to me and ask What do I need to do to be where Willy is, Ford said. Its a real tribute to him and to what hes had to overcome. He has responsibilities pertaining to his student visa. He needs to take the TOEFL exam to get into school. He has a lot of pressure on him. But he looks so graceful in handling everything and being a true leader in our program.

Willy plans to attend either Kettering University, Florida A&M or South Carolina State next Fall. If hes at Kettering, hell participate in a 7-year masters program in electrical and computer engineering. He may play football if he attends one of the other two.

Either way, Willy Joseph has a challenge ahead of him. But thats nothing new to him. Hes been embracing them his entire life.