Dynamite Dozen: Westover’s Jamie Pettway challenged to lead

ALBANY — Westover’s Jamie Pettway wants his senior year to be a big one.

He certainly put in the work during the offseason. Between college camps and shoe company events, the linebacker has worked non-stop to prepare for his final year of high school.

There’s no question Pettway is on the college recruiting radar. He’s 73rd among all high school players in Georgia in 247sports’ ranking of the Class of 2019, and he’s getting several SEC and ACC looks.

The challenge given Pettway by Westover’s new coaching staff is that of leadership. It’s a challenge Pettway has embraced.

“Right now, I’m just where my feet are at, as my coaches like to tell me, just trying to get ready for the season,” Pettway said. “I’ve worked the hardest I’ve worked in my life. I was introduced to a lot of new drills, a lot of new things that I didn’t know in the past.”

Pettway, who played in the Georgia Rising Seniors game after recording 58 tackles and an interception last year, is a 2018 Albany Herald Dynamite Dozen selection.

Listed at 6-foot-3 and 230 pounds, Pettway said he’s in the process of adding 10 more pounds. The size he has gained adds a dimension to the recruiting process, a process that saw him visit camps at Tennessee, South Carolina, Louisville and Vanderbilt over the summer.

“They love my size, they love the way I run, they love the way I look,” Pettway said of the evaluation college coaches are giving him. “From previous years, they’re saying I’ve gotten bigger, I’m more in shape. They love the way I come and play.”

Pettway is being challenged to spark a defense that has seen its share of successful front-seven players through the years, notably ex-Georgia defensive tackle Trenton Thompson.

First-year head coach Olten Downs connected with Pettway early, calling upon Pettway to help guide his teammates through the transition process.

“Jamie is a good, young man who works hard,” Downs said. “We’re working with him on his leadership skills. He wants to be great; our biggest thing is to try to show him the way to be great and show him how great players affect other people. He has a lot of potential.”

Said Pettway, “I’ve become more vocal, and I show with my work ethic how I want to lead the team. I tell the guys, ‘Never get caught slacking, stay working and do your job.’ And the team’s responding.”

He’s eager to see that work play out once the season arrives.

“We’re very excited, ready for the season to start,” Pettway said. “We’re all on the same page. All of us want to win. All of us want to be great this season. We want to show folks that we’ve worked this offseason. The work level and the intensity at practice is different. Guys are in shape, and we’ve done a lot of game situational things. We’re ready for the season.”