Interview: 2021 Arkansas ATH Ja’Quez Cross Did It All for a Fordyce State Championship
Written by Ryan Wright
Twitter: @RyanWrightRNG
No matter the confidence level, all athletes enter the offseason with the goal of winning a championship but proceed into the unknown. The path forward begins in the offseason with hundreds of hours of hard work put in without knowing what the reward will be months later. For standout Class of 2021 talent Ja’Quez Cross, it was an Arkansas state championship and a well-deserved athlete label.
It takes a team to win in football, but one could also say it took Cross transferring in from Hampton to Fordyce for the Redbugs to capture the trophy in 2019. Cross used his speed and overall athleticism to impact the game in all three phases leading to a 13-2 run for his team.
On offense, Cross hauled in 58 passes for 975 yards with 14 touchdowns and carried the pigskin 24 times for 210 yards with two more trips into the end zone. On special teams, he racked up 374 return yards taking back seven kicks for 182 yards and 14 punts for 192 more. If that was not enough shine to the season, the 5-10, 175-pound, talent played corner and safety putting an end to 61 plays with three tackles for a loss, forced two fumbles, picked up a fumble for a touchdown, broke up three passes and picked off 10 putting 198 return yards in the stat column.
Word on the exploits of Cross are beginning to spread throughout the region with college programs taking notice. In an RNG exclusive interview, I sat down with one of the Natural State’s top athletes in the 2021 class for an in-depth one-on-one.
Interview
Ja’Quez, your speed pops off the film. How fast are you?
“Last summer at a UAPB (Arkansas-Pine Bluff) camp, I ran a 4.5.”
The season you put together in 2019 was special – no doubt. Beyond your speed, what all was working for you allowing for the big season on offense?
“Getting off the line. If they played off, I could think about the route and what I was going to do. If they played up, I put a move on them and I was gone.”
What were some of the ways you saw your game improve as a receiver last season?
“I am always working towards getting my balance better; I will be playing more running back next season. At Hampton, we ran a triple option. After running the ball at Hampton, I can take hits – I want to take two and three hits while keeping my balance. I can make people miss and I can run them over them, but I like running around them.”
What style of offense were you guys running with Fordyce last season?
“A Spread and a Wing T.”
Besides saying, ‘Ja’Quez, go get it’, what were some of the ways the coaches were getting the rock in your hands?
“Pop screens, quick screens, fades, and slants – those were most of my routes. I was running comebacks and out routes too. Hitches – really everything. Our coach developed me as a receiver last season.”
You showed out with 10 interceptions last season, how did the year go on defense for you?
“Playing receiver helped a lot. That helped with my ball hawking skills. At Hampton, I played quarterback. That helped me think about what would I do in this situation as a quarterback. I would read it and be in the right place for the interception. On offense, when the ball goes up, I go get it no matter what. You have to have that attitude with the ball on offense and on defense.”
In which ways did you see your game improve on defense last year?
“That was my first time ever playing safety; I played corner at Hampton. We play against a lot of power run teams in 2A. I played in the box a lot last season.”
What were some of the coverages the defense executed last season?
“We ran a 5-2-4. Against a power run team, we’d bring one safety down in a 5-3. Sometimes we’d put both safeties in the box. Against a Spread, we ran man or a Cover 4.”
At the end of the season when you and your teammates were holding up the 2A trophy, what did that mean for you?
“It meant a lot. Coming from Hampton, there was a lot of negativity coming to me with people saying we would not win a championship. It meant a lot. A lot of people said we would not win state because we would not bond as a team. But we are friends on and off the field and we came together. Once we came together over the summer, it was easy and we had fun.”
To duplicate and push your productivity forward, what all are you working on this offseason?
“This offseason I am working on my balance and working on getting my strength and my weight up. Playing running back this year, I will get a lot of carries and take a lot of hits. I am working on my footspeed and I am working on getting faster. I am running track. I am aiming for a 4.4.”
You do so much already. Will we see you at any new positions in 2020 other than running back?
“No, sir. You will see me at running back, receiver, may be some in the slot, and at defensive back.”
Are you planning on competing at any camps this spring or summer?
“I was supposed to go to a Rivals camp, but it was cancelled because of the virus. I was supposed to go to a Junior Day visit at Kansas but that was cancelled because of the virus too.”
Keeping with colleges, which schools are showing interest?
“Louisiana Tech, Kansas, OBU (Ouachita Baptist), and ULL (Louisiana-Lafayette).”
Have you started taking visits?
“Yes. I have been to Henderson State, Louisiana Tech for a Junior Day, and to ULL for a Junior Day.”
How did the Louisiana Tech visit go?
“It was a good visit. I talked to their receivers’ coach; he likes me. We talked a lot. I talked to the head coach too.”
And the ULL visit, how did that go?
“I get a lot of love from them because of my cousin Kenneth Dixon (RB for the NY Jets).”
When the college campuses open back up, which schools are you planning on visiting?
“ULL – that’s the only one I have scheduled for now.”
Ja’Quez, it was great getting time in with you today. Wishing you continued success with your offseason workouts.
“Thank you.”
Photo credit: Cross family; Ja’Quez Cross at Louisiana Tech and Henderson State