Many teammates of the impressive Warrior varsity football team recognize the leadership and hard work of senior linebacker Jai Bishop-Gray as he guides North Cobb’s dominant defense to beat top ranked teams in the state.

The journey began at the age of eight for Bishop-Gray and he only became better from there. Even then his favorite part of playing football was the physical aspect, which still gives him such an adrenaline rush to this day.

“Usually after nine years of doing something, it gets boring, but football is different. I can eat, sleep, and breathe football every day and never get tired of it because I know I can always get better and reach my main goal of winning the state championship. Obviously that won’t be easy and I can’t do it by myself, so everyone needs to work, train, and practice together to be better as a whole and reach our full potential,” Bishop-Gray said.

Raw talent mixed with an incredible work ethic produces a deadly defender, and Bishop-Gray resembles all the right characteristics to continuously improve and be a five star player.

Leadership plays an enormous factor in being a key to varsity defense, especially on a squad as successful as NC. Bishop-Gray evidently earned the captain role for a reason.

“The reason he is such a good leader is because he can relate to all the players. He knows how to communicate and understands where everyone is coming from. Also he’s one of the hardest workers leads by example,” senior quarterback Tyler Queen said.

Preparation and dedication leads to greatness according Bishop-Gray. Preparation begins with sleeping and eating well the night before and the day of games. To prepare for Friday nights, he watches film, eats his favorite pregame snacks, and listens to music to pump himself up.

Every great player needs a coach to look up to. For Bishop-Gray, North Cobb’s defensive coordinator Chad McGehee stands out as a phenomenal coach. Bishop-Gray’s other reasons for looking up to McGehee are the fact that he played for Alabama and he proves himself as a hard working man. Another honorable coach for Bishop-Gray, T.K. Dodd stands out because of his ability to connect with players, his superior coaching skills, and the fact that he played for NC State.

With the assistance of these mentors, Bishop-Gray can help lead the team to achieve three of his most desirable goals: Finishing as region champions in one of the most difficult regions in the state, winning the state championship, and finally achieving the status as the best defense in Georgia.

Jai Bishop-Gray plans to lead the team to victory over the next couple of months by continuing to work hard, staying humble, and always be a reliable player for the team he loves the most.