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Ashley MeadColquitt County SchoolMoultrie, Georgia by Robert Preston, Jr. photography by Johnathan Chick |
High school sports are becoming more and more specialized these days, but Colquitt County’s Ashley Mead is taking the specialized concept to another level. The 6’4”, 185-pound senior serves as the Packers’ long snapper, and has made a bit of a name for himself at that position. He didn’t begin his career as the long snapper; he just kind of fell into it after one of his coaches saw him working with a punter a practice. Like so many athletes, Ashley began with baseball. He played recreation league baseball and football, and continued with football when he entered high school. Originally a free safety, he was getting in about two quarters of work per game on the freshman squad (he has one career interception; it came against Tift in a ninth grade game). The following year, just before the season began, Ashley was at practice when one of the punters needed someone to snap to him. Ashley had a couple of free minutes so he volunteered. “I did it just for fun. Then one of the coaches saw that I could long snap, and that’s what I’ve done ever since. It’s not something I ever thought I’d be doing,” he says. The long snapper may not be a glamour position, but it’s one that’s vitally important to the team. Ashley doesn’t play free safety anymore; he simply long snaps. “I was the only one who could do it. If I got hurt, we couldn’t kick field goals or punt. So it’s all I do,” he says. Ashley has seen some playing time sparingly at other positions. Last year, he lined up at wide receiver a few times, and, as he puts it, “I might get to play free safety again as a last option.” He enjoyed roaming the secondary as a free safety but he understands that his role these days is primarily as the long snapper. He’s maintained a good attitude about the position, and he knows that no matter what, he will see the field. “If we’re playing well and scoring, I’ll get in the game for extra points and field goals. If we’re playing bad, I’ll get in there a lot on punts. Either way, I’m going to get to play,” he laughs. Despite his specialized position, he doesn’t take it easy in practice. He’s spent the summer lifting weights, running and working on his snapping. Almost every day, he spends time in the weight room and does some kind of running. The reason for the hard work is simple: Ashley is dedicated to his team and wants to see the Packers do well – especially in his senior season. The 2008 campaign wasn’t easy for the Packers. Still, it was better than 2007. In ’07, Ashley’s sophomore year, Colquitt was a dismal 2-8. A new head coach, Rush Probst of Hoover, Ala., fame, took over in 2008. Coach Probst brought with him a high-powered passing attack that was foreign to many of the Packers. In years past, Colquitt had relied on a punishing ground game. The new spread attack took some getting used to. The Packers finished the season with a 4-6 record, and quarterback John Michael Harrison (who was In the Game’s Academic Athlete in October 2008) finished the season as one of the region’s best passers. “Coach Probst is someone you can really play for. He makes sure you have exactly what you need to succeed. It was a big transition going from a running team to a passing team. But Coach Probst has everything under control. Now, it’s up to us,” says Ashley. He wants to see his team win and return to being a perennial playoff contender. Ashley also wants to finish his high school playing career on a winning note, and he’s not going to let anyone get in the way of that. “I want to make sure I do my job on the field. I also want to provide senior leadership for the team so we can do the best we can. I’m not going to compromise the team’s success. If I see someone doing something to compromise the team, I’ll say something. I don’t have another chance. This is it,” he says. |
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This season may be his last year as a Packer, but it’s probably not his last as a football player. His ability to snap the ball quickly and accurately (along with his grades) has generated interest from several college programs. He’s received calls from Georgia State, UAB, Valdosta State, Clemson and Louisville. Ashley hasn’t made a decision yet, though he is strongly considering Valdosta State. He’s a self-described country boy and doesn’t see himself in a metropolitan area. “I like living in the country. City life isn’t for me,” he says.
School has never been much of a problem for Ashley. He’s done well since his first day of school. His parents have been there to encourage him, but school is just something that came easy to him. “Whatever I do, I try to do my best. That goes for school and football,” he says. At the time of this interview, Ashley is second in his class in terms of grade point average. His favorite subject is science, particularly chemistry and physics. Ashley credits his physics teacher, Thomas Hall, as developing his interest in that area of science. According to the Milken Family Foundation website, Mr. Hall is a two-time State Science Teacher of the Year and a 1990 Presidential Science Teacher Award recipient. He’s been teaching at Colquitt County for many years (Ashley says Mr. Hall taught his father), and according to Ashley, he keeps his students on task by applying the abstract concepts of physics to real-world situations. “He keeps things very interesting,” says Ashley. Ashley’s plans for college include pursuing a science-related degree during his undergraduate years before heading on to law school. He’s set the bar pretty high – he mentioned attending Harvard Law School. If that doesn’t work out, he would like to stay in-state and attend the University of Georgia Law School. Ten years from now, he would like to be practicing law, maybe even running his own firm. “I’d like to stay in a small town. I could see myself coming back to Moultrie. I want some space and room to move. I’m a nature person,” he says. Besides playing football and studying, Ashley lists his other hobbies as working and going to the movies. He is also active in Hopewell Baptist Church. Ashley has won a number of academic awards, including Academic Player of the Week (versus Lowndes as a sophomore), Scholar Athlete, Certificate of Merit from the University of Georgia, and he’s been accepted into the Colquitt chapter of the National Honor Society. • | |
January 2012
Robert Preston Jr. 
Micki K Photography 
