It might sound odd that for many football players, the most memorable advice they’ve gotten from coaches is to learn to forget.
What has been called intentional amnesia, or commonly, the next-play mentality.
“Don’t be stuck in the past, whether it’s successes or defeats,” Richmond Hill senior quarterback Gunner Mobley said. “You’ve got to get up and move on to what’s next.”
That’s particularly apt for a quarterback, with the team’s fortunes potentially riding on every snap, from touchdowns to turnovers.
It’s also true for the other positions in this team sport, as Liberty County seniors Aaron Brown and Ny’Kiem Ezell explained.
“Have a next-play mentality, no matter if you mess up or whatever,” Brown said. “I play wide receiver, and if I drop a ball, I know next-play mentality.”
Ezell, a defensive back, can be on the wrong end of a play in pass coverage, for example, but he has to quickly regroup and stay confident.
“Keep my chin up after a bad play,” he said. “After I get a go-ball on me, a score on me, just keep my head up, chin up.”
These players and others from Savannah-area schools attended the sixth annual Optim Orthopedics/Prep Sports Report Football Media Day on Aug. 1at the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force in Pooler.
They were asked by Prep Sports Report to recall the best mental advice they have received from a coach. Here’s a sample of their answers in Part II. We heard from their coaches in Part I.
Calvary Day Cavaliers
Coach Jason Cameron and his players pose for a team photo at the 6th Annual Optim Orthopedics/Prep Sports Report Football Media Day on Aug. 1 at the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force in Pooler.
Jalen Hicks, senior wide receiver: Coach (Jason) Cameron told us not to take a play for granted and to go 110 percent every play. I got injured my sophomore year and couldn’t play for the rest of the season. Him telling me not to take plays for granted, I try to go 110 percent every play.
James Mobley IV, senior quarterback: Coach Cameron said it’s not going to be a straight road; it’s going to be rocky. With the new region and non-region (schedule), games aren’t going to be where they’ve been. Just staying composed, keeping everybody level. I feel that’s going to be really big for us.
Gabe Ausfeld, senior linebacker: Coach Eli Sheppard on the defensive side of the ball, helping me believe in myself more. Coming from the offensive side of the ball (WR and QB) and transitioning to defense (DL and LB), it was very tough mentally trying to learn the whole playbook and how to do it correctly. He really helped me have belief in myself.
Bethesda Academy Blazers
Prep Sports Report’s Nathan Dominitz talks with Bethesda Academy players during the 6th Annual Optim Orthopedics/Prep Sports Report Football Media Day.
Ka’Mond Young, junior WR/ILB/DE: Coach (Antwain) Turner said in order to be physically tough, you have to be mentally tough. You have to be mentally locked in. If you’re not mentally tough, you won’t perform at a high level.
Ian Platts, senior OT/nose guard: Eyes up, keep Blazin’ because it teaches you, even when you’re in the worst parts of the day, keep your head up, keep going, keep striving to be better than ever.
Jordan Turner, junior QB: Coach Turner told me as long as you keep God first, he will make miracles for you.
St. Andrew’s School Lions
Prep Sports Report’s Nathan Dominitz talks with St. Andrew’s players during the 6th Annual Optim Orthopedics/Prep Sports Report Football Media Day on Aug. 1 at the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force in Pooler.
Thomas Kirk, senior OG/DT/long snapper: This offseason, one of the players was like, ‘I don’t think I can do this anymore.’ Coach (Wes Worthington) was like, ‘You can do a whole another practice. Whenever you think you’re done, your body can go more than you think it can.’ You’ve got to get past that mental block of thinking that you’re done but have a lot left.
Jack Kelley, senior OG/DL: It was a tough practice, a long day, and we’d been playing hard the whole day. One of the first couple of days of pads. We thought we didn’t have any more left, and our coach was like, ‘You think you’re dead (tired) now, but you could play a whole another game, four more quarters right now.’ That really stuck with me. It’ll help us know in the games that we can keep playing when it gets hard.
Pat Jackson, junior QB: This thing that Coach Wes (Worthington) recently came up with: the Courage Wolf and the Fear Wolf. Before our practices, he would always give us a talk. He would say, we have to feed our Fear Wolf, meaning you have to put more into your Fear Wolf than Courage Wolf. It really stuck with us. As the season progresses, I feel we will buy into it more.
Savannah Christian Raiders
Prep Sports Report’s Nathan Dominitz talks with members of the Savannah Christian football team about the best mental advice they’ve received from a coach during Football Media Day.
William Bucey, senior WR/TE/SS/CB/QB: Coach Baker Woodward always tells us to be present in the moment. Just focus on what’s happening right now. We can’t control the future. We can’t control the past anymore. We can control what we’re doing in the moment.
Rasheem “RJ” Daniels, senior TE/DET/OLB: Be where your feet are. Not only during games but also during practice. Keeping our minds in the right spot. Practice how you play. It’s going to show on Friday nights.
Ivyn Richardson, senior TE/WR/LB: Be where your feet are. If you’re in the weight room, be in the weight room 100 percent. Focus on what you do. If you’re on the field, in the classroom, it doesn’t matter.
Savannah Country Day Hornets
Prep Sports Report’s Nathan Dominitz talks with members of the Savannah Country Day football team about the advice from coaches they haven’t forgotten.
Wells Headley, senior defensive end: We played Mount Vernon my junior year, and we were down at halftime. We had a different head coach. I remember (then-assistant) coach (Joey) Blackmore’s speech fired us up. A couple of weeks later, the other coach left, and Coach Blackmore’s speech when he announced that he was taking over as head coach was probably the most memorable. It just fired all the guys up and made us happy to play for him—a very motivational guy.
Thomas Holland, senior RB/OLB: Last year, we were getting killed by Toombs County (a 42-7 loss). At halftime (down 35-0), Coach Blackmore came in and told us to keep trying, no matter what happens; play your best. Honestly, we weren’t playing to win in the first half. We were all scared. We weren’t hitting. We weren’t doing anything good. He came in and got us all fired up for the second half. It really awakened something. The rest of the season, it really picked us up. (The Hornets won their next two games).
Devin Trawick, junior QB: My freshman year, I forget who we were playing, but we were actually up. But we were making a lot of mental errors. Our offensive coordinator (Dominique Allen) came in and stood up. He was very simple: “Just run through their faces.” It fired the whole team up.
Effingham County Rebels
Prep Sports Report’s Nathan Dominitz talks with Effingham County players during the 6th Annual Optim Orthopedics/Prep Sports Report Football Media Day about the best mental advice they’ve received from a coach.
Jordan Dillon, senior LT: Linebackers and strength and conditioning coach Ross Garner says, “It’s not easy. If it was easy, all of us would be doing it.”
Josh Edwards, senior RG: Coach (John) Ford, before a big game, he says, “A lot of people have talent. Not everyone has strength and the toughness you need to have that brotherhood to work together. You can’t play the game by yourself. If you want an (individual) sport, go wrestle or something like that. You’ve got to have that bond to work together.”
Jmere Doe-Davis, senior RB/S: Before a game, Coach Ford told me to be myself. In that moment, it just calms me down, just makes me play like myself and not try to be something I’m not.
Jernard Albright, senior OLB: Coach Ross Garner says to hold everyone accountable. I feel like that’s a big factor on a team. You can have all the talent, but if your team’s not on point, it’s not all going to come together.
South Effingham Mustangs
Prep Sports Report’s Nathan Dominitz talks with members of the South Effingham football team about the advice from coaches that has stuck with them.
Danny Murtha, senior RB/LB: Defensive coordinator Carson McClellan said it takes a different mentality to down the ball carrier. You’ve got to have that dog in you just to be able to do it. By all means, everyone rally to the ball.
Maddox Vasquez, senior RB/S: Coach (Loren) Purvis is always preaching about brotherhood; we’re all brothers here. These people are who you go to battle with every day, so they’re going to be there for you, through thick and thin.
Khyran White, senior RB/OLB: Coach McClellan, his first year was last year. It’s a blitz mentality. He always motivates us to bring down the ball carrier, be our best,t and dominate, and he gives us the mentality to be good every play.
Benedictine Cadets
Prep Sports Report’s Nathan Dominitz talks with members of the Benedictine football team about the best mental advice they’ve received from a coach during Football Media Day.
Eron Mallard, senior WR/DB: Control the controllables. Control your energy, your effort, always try your best. Always try your hardest, give 110 percent in whatever you do.
Omari Burse, senior QB: Coach (Danny) Britt told me, if you’re going to mess up, mess up 100 percent. In life, you’re going to mess up. Do it 100 percent. Never a lollygagger, no halfway your way out of anything.
Stanley Smart Jr., senior RB/DB: Recently, Coach Britt, after practice one day, was talking about a book he read. It said, be the man that the moment deserves, or somewhere along those lines. It tells you about how to be in the moment, how to act and be in that position, how to maintain yourself in that position.
Gavin Smith, senior OL/DT: After a Buford game (in 2024), I was playing offensive line as the starting tackle. We lost the game by one point (29-28), a heartbreaking game. I was pouring my eyes out. I was really upset. I thought I had fought my hardest. I had let up a sack on that last drive. I kind of felt like all the pressure was on me. I feel it was my fault that we lost. But (offensive coordinator AJ) DeFilippis pulled me to the side and asked me if I had tried my hardest. I told him yeah. It made me realize as long as I tried my best, I can’t just dwell on the past. I’ve got to work on getting better.
Bryan County Redskins
Prep Sports Report’s Nathan Dominitz talks with members of the Bryan County football team about the best mental advice they’ve received from a coach during the 6th Annual Optim Orthopedics/Prep Sports Report Football Media Day.
Corey Collier, senior C/ILB: I think during our 2023 season when we went on the semifinals run, in our first playoff game, Coach (Cherard) Freeman actually said when we were going over pregame, trying to get us hyped up, and he compared winning a game to a mosquito. To kill a mosquito, you’ve got to hit it with a sledgehammer. Hitting it with that sledgehammer is putting the nail in the coffin. Make it early, make it fast, win a big game. Kill a mosquito with a sledgehammer.
Gerome Lee, junior RB/OLB: Before a basketball game, Coach (Jason) Napier said success isn’t owned; it’s rented, and rent is due every day. We laughed about it a lot, but it really means a lot. You’ve got to work for it every day. You’ve got to earn it every single day. What you did yesterday doesn’t matter. What you do today is going to determine what you do the next day.
Jonah Broce, senior TE/ILB: I think it was last year after our (35-0) loss at Metter at the end of the year; there was something Coach Freeman said that really stuck with me after that. Whenever we were leaving the field house, he said it to a small group of guys that I was walking with. He basically told all of us to keep that feeling inside of us, remember how that loss felt, and how it kind of ruined our chances at making the playoffs last year. When we go to play them this year, we’re coming in straight business because we remember how that loss felt.
Bradwell Institute Tigers
Prep Sports Report’s Nathan Dominitz talks with members of the Liberty County football team during the 6th Annual Optim Orthopedics/Prep Sports Report Football Media Day.
Khamari Griffin, senior CB: It takes sacrifice. If you play on the football field, you have to be all in. You have to be ready to work – early mornings, late nights.
Tyson Spears, senior WR/DB: No matter what happens in a game or the outcome, you always have another day to come back and grind, so give it all you have. When you’re on the field, give it all you’ve got because you never know if this is going to be your last game played. If you leave it all out on the field, you can leave, and you know that you gave the game all that you had.
Markel Fields, senior LB: When talking about adversity, mentally, physically, in life, you don’t know what’s going to hit. You don’t know what’s going to happen in the next minute or two. So you’ve got to be ready at all times. You’ve got to understand how you control it. Adversity is always going to hit, so you’ve got to be ready.
Liberty County Panthers
Coach Tony Glazer and his players pose for a team photo at the 6th Annual Optim Orthopedics/Prep Sports Report Football Media Day on Aug. 1 at the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force in Pooler.
Carson Carter, senior LT: I’ve always been told it’s the next play, no matter what the play is. It can be the best play in football to the worst; it’s always the next play. The past is the past. When the play is over with, it doesn’t matter anymore. It’s always look up and look forward.
Richmond Hill Wildcats
Coach Matt LeZotte and his players pose for a team photo at the 6th Annual Optim Orthopedics/Prep Sports Report Football Media Day on Aug. 1 at the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force in Pooler.
Tre Brown, senior DL: Hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard. A lot of people have so much talent in the world, but they’re sitting at home wasting it. They could be out grinding.
Elias Grant, senior WR/DB: You’re going to face a lot of adversity. Keep going no matter what. You’re going to face adversity in life. Just keep going.
Photos courtesy Optim Orthopedics and The Prep Sports Report
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Prep Sports Report Football Coverage Presented by Optim Orthopedics
Optim Orthopedics wants you in the game.
Keeping Savannah-area athletes healthy and ready for gameday all season long.
Team physicians include Dr. Don Aaron (Bryan County), Dr. David Sedory (Benedictine, Bradwell Institute, Liberty County), Dr. David Palmer (Calvary Day, Richmond Hill, South Effingham), and Dr. Thomas Alexander (Savannah Country Day, St. Vincent’s Academy).
