Skipper beats an Oklahoma Panhandle State player to swarm to the ball on Saturday night.
Grambling, La. | Defensively, the Grambling State Tigers football team have gained continuity throughout the first five games of the season.
The Tigers Defensive lineman, Johnkil Skipper seems like a vicious beast to the opposing team’s offense on the field. However, after one conversation with him you’ll realize that the beastly football player is just a small piece of who skipper is.
The “big guy” in the middle of a aggressive defensive line and defending SWAC Champions number 94 Johnkil Skipper has no choice but to stand out, this has been the case since the age of five years old.
When asked how long have you been around football skipper replied, “My whole life, I’ve been playing football since I was five.”
The middle child of three with an older brother and a younger sister, Skipper has always had to learn swiftly and this has led to mature mindset growing up in Hazlehurst, Mississippi.
In high school Skipper was known as a multi-sport athlete as he helped the Hazlehurst Indians conquer a football state championship his junior year. He also played and was named All-District at third base all four years for the Indians Baseball team.
“I most definitely would be playing baseball” says Skipper when asked what he’ll be doing if he wasn’t playing football.
Naturally, you would think by his position on the field and how he attacks opposing players he would be a mean, hard-core, cold-hearted individual. However, this isn’t the case when he’s not imposing his will on opposing teams he’s a humble, humorist, warmhearted person that lights up any room he enters.
When I asked him what’s something most people wouldn’t know about you, “The music I prefer is old school R&B the 80’s and 90’s like Jodeci, Boyz II Men, Guy the lists goes on and on” he says before cracking an large smile. However, “The Carter V is the hottest album out right now, but before every game I have to listen to that Dj Khaled Ft. Future and Yo Gotti That Range Rover Came With Steps” says skipper.
Music plays a pivotal role in how he plays. Listening to the music of his choice turns a humble man into a beast. When asked do you see yourself going to the next level which is professionally for the NFL, Skipper replied “I think every kid growing up playing sports wants to play professional, but it’s all about what the man upstairs got in store and want for me.” In his final year of collegiate play, Skipper plans to cherish each moment.
He’s a Graduate Student and a member Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc., majoring in Leisure Studies with aspirations to one day become a football coach.
Skipper says, “as a graduate student my day consist of breakfast, practice, class, and meetings. After that it’s on to the house to relax, and play NBA 2K and wake up and do it all again tomorrow.”
When asked what does the Tigers have to do to repeat as SWAC Champions skipper says, “ If everyone does there job, and we win out on the rest of the season we should be OK. All we can do is control what we have the power to control and play hard for the remaining of the season.”
The Tigers are down to two remaining home games with Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Mississippi Valley set to visit Eddie Robinson Memorial Stadium, with six games remaining on the 2018 Football season.