For Zsajuan Powe, Baton Rouge, Louisiana is in his blood. It is home and it will always be home.
“The city means a lot to me. That will always be home for me. Growing up there, it can be hard at times because of the crime and stuff like that but it’s a really cultured city. You’re around a lot of people, a lot of different types of people. That’s an awesome experience. [Baton Rouge] will always be home for me,” he said.
He said his transition from Baton Rouge to Mobile, Alabama was hard because he had to leave all the people he grew up with.
“That pushes me to play harder because I want the people I grew up with to be proud of me.”
He is now a two-star senior outside linebacker and safety for the Blount High School Leopards and says that on the field he needs to work on being a better leader. Off the field, he doesn’t have a problem lending a helping hand to the younger generation.
“I like mentoring kids. I’m in a couple of mentoring programs helping [the kids] become real men and just helping them out [any way I can],” he said.
He doesn’t see being a counselor in his future because he mentors kids right now but he does want to major in sports management at Jacksonville State University, the school he committed to July 30. Here’s what he had to say about the commitment.
“The coaches and stuff, in talking to them a lot, they had a lot of interest in me. I liked the area [because it is] close to home. Academic wise, they really take care of their players and I really appreciate that. They have my major and my parents, they really [like] the program and the coaches too so I felt like I could really see myself playing there.”
Zsajuan Powe received scholarship offers from Jacksonville State, the University of Arkansas at Monticello, Lindenwood University, Birmingham Southern College, Robert Morris, and others. See his junior highlights here.
“…It’s not really stressful but it’s a time for you to just enjoy and see what program offers what and see what program is the best fit for you,” he said about his recruiting process.
He said that playing outside linebacker and safety allows him to be a versatile player coming into the box to stop the run and covering in passing situations.
The Blount Leopards went 11-2 (7-1 Region) in 2015 but lost in the second round of the AHSAA Class 6A state playoffs to Bessemer City High School, 10-7. Zsajuan Powe believes if the team works hard and stays healthy, the Leopards have a chance to make a run in 2016.
“I think it will be a really important accomplishment for us. I feel like we can do it with effort. Last year, we kind of had a lot of hiccups and bumps. Guys were getting hurt and stuff so I feel like the weight room will be more important and we won’t be getting hurt and stuff.”