To the average spectator tackling is viewed as purely a physical skill. While that is partly true, a tackler also needs to possess a special mentality and force his will on an opposing player in order to get him to the ground.

John Milledge linebacker Dawson Huff has all of the qualities, mental and physical, necessary to get the job done on the field. If you’re watching a JMA football game and can’t find the football when the Trojans are on defense, just look for Huff and he’ll lead you right to it every single time. The senior was the leader of a defense that gave up less than seven points per game in 14 contests en route to the school’s first state championship. He tallied 72 solo tackles in his final campaign, which is a higher total than what most players can boast with solo and assists combined. In all, Huff had 145 total tackles (solo plus assists) in his final year of high school football.

“Dawson was the quarterback of our defense,” said John Milledge head coach J.T. Wall. “He got us in the right position by recognizing the opposing offenses’ formations and personnel packages. He was relentless in his pursuit of the ball carriers this year and he played with unbelievable emotion week in and week out.

“If we asked Dawson to tackle a horse he would die trying. That’s just the type of kid that he is he is, always going 100 percent every day. Last year he was just out there playing and didn’t really understand why he was doing this or that and this year he had a better understanding of the game in general and it really showed in his production.”

The leading tackler’s presence could be felt all over the field in every phase of the game. A blocked punt by Huff in the season opener against Pinewood helped the Trojans seize control of a highly competitive game. On offense he served as a lead blocker from his position at fullback and even showed off some respectable speed when he busted a 69-yard touchdown run in the blowout win against Westfield.

Adversity came knocking when Huff suffered a knee injury in the state semifinal versus Valwood, a team loaded with offensive talent. Of course anytime a player goes down with a hurt knee the first thought is always a torn major ligament, and Huff’s mind went in that same direction right after he went down.

“I was scared at that moment that I wouldn’t be able to play in the state championship game if we got that far,” he said. “It’s real scary when you’re standing on the sideline and you have no control over the game. When you’re out there you know you can do something to change the game, but you can’t when you’re hurt.”

His teammates stood tall and earned the 20-13 victory over Valwood and the right to advance to the school’s first-ever football state championship game. Luckily for Huff his injury was just a sprain, and he said he put in almost 20 miles on a stationary bike in order to ensure his knee was ready for the rematch with Gatewood.

Little did Huff know at the time, but he also suffered a broken finger in the state semifinal. In a crazy display of toughness he played with more than one significant injury in the state championship and only recently got his finger x-rayed. Huff and the Trojans finished off the perfect season with a shutout victory over the Gators, which he still has trouble believing to this day.

“It feels real but it’s still shocking that we went 14-0 and won state,” he said. “I’ll remember how we had to play Pinewood twice and Gatewood twice and a lot people said there was no way we’d beat two teams twice.”

With an impressive numbers like 145 total tackles, 12 tackles for loss, and five forced fumbles Huff was an easy selection to the Georgia Independent Schools Association All-Star game. There he competed against some of the best talent in the state, and he said he played one of his best games defensively.

Coach Wall said it’s by no accident that Huff had such a successful senior season.

“He’s another guy who is a gym rat, and we have to kick him out of the weight room at times but he took his work ethic to a new level this year as far as weekly preparation for his opponent. Dawson really took the coaching this year and wanted to get better each week.”

While his high school football playing days are over, Huff can leave the game knowing he left his mark locally for years to come.