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Date: 10/30/2023
WESTFIELD — Westfield High School senior football player Jadon Gibbs was nominated and accepted into the 2024 Dream All-American Bowl.
Gibbs said, “It felt really good to be selected. It felt like I was finally like I was starting to get somewhere with football, and I hope it continues.”
Gibbs has been playing football since he was 5 years old and said his love from the sport most likely came from growing up in a football household. Among the stops along his football journey was time with the Ludlow Youth Football program.
He added, “I started playing in Buffalo when I was about 5 and I have been playing since. Watching my uncles play and going to the football games, I think that is what really made me start to like the sport.”
Gibbs currently plays left tackle and nose guard for the Westfield Bombers and if he had to pick one, he would prefer nose guard.
“I like playing defense a lot. It is fun to get to hit people,” Gibbs added.
Two professional football players that Gibbs said he looks up to and tries to model his game from is Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett and Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald.
Both Garrett and Donald are not only top defensive players on their respective teams but also in the entire National Football League.
Gibbs said, “I like the way they play. They play with a lot of aggression which I think is a good way to play on defense.”
One of Gibbs’ former Ludlow youth football coaches Alphonse Spencer Provost talked about the player Gibbs was and how he carried himself.
He said, “Obviously I think Jadon is obviously a phenomenal football player. He is one of the most physically gifted young men I ever had the pleasure of coaching along with a great attitude. His eighth-grade year he was an MVP for us, and he could play anywhere for us on the field defensively.”
Despite being such a great player, Provost said Gibbs was humble.
Provost added, “He knew he was dominant in our league and our division, definitely the best kid in every game and very humble and nice to everyone. I am extremely happy for him and what is going on in his life right now.”
Provost said that Gibbs recently visited the current eighth grade football team to talk to the kids about his story and how he fell in love with the game of football.
Dream Sports Group Committee picks the top athletes in the country and invites them to play in an exclusive all-star game and participate in a weekend long event of developmental activities and performance on a nationwide platform.
Gibbs will travel to SoFi Stadium, home of the Los Angeles Chargers and Rams, for the 2024 Dream All-American Bowl from Dec. 26-29.
Those who are selected like Gibbs can learn from some of the best teachers of the game, former NFL players, college and high school coaches.
The committee received over 10,000 nominations and Gibbs is one of 360 student athletes from across the nation selected.
Gibbs said he hopes to continue to pursue football after high school and has begun looking at potentially playing in college.
Gibbs has been working since he was young to keep playing the game he loves but he knows he didn’t get here by himself.
He added, “Thank you to my mom for always supporting me.”
At the time of publication, the Westfield football team is currently 6-1 with one more game in their season before the playoffs start where they hope to make a deep run.
Dream Sports Group Committee leader and CEO Shannon Riley said, “Jadon is a defensive powerhouse. Standing at 6-foot-1, he commands the line of scrimmage with an unmatched blend of strength and agility. What sets him apart is not just his ability to overpower opponents but the strategic finesse with which he executes each play, disrupting offensive schemes and creating chaos in the backfield. His 300-pound frame is a force capable of bulldozing through offensive linemen and reaching the quarterback with relentless determination. We are excited to see him display his talents in Los Angeles.”