Going into his junior year Rob Dockery had no intention of playing football. He had only one thing on his mind for his athletic year: making up for the last minute loss against Sidwell Friends in the DCSAA basketball championship last year. 

Once the season started, Dockery realized that he wanted to play football, too. He had played in his first year of high school but having not played sophomore year he has only recently reconnected to the sport. Dockery has started a total of three games as the quarterback this season, leading JR to two close victories. The passing game for Tigers’ football was lackluster before Dockery joined the team. A 20-19 victory against Ballou and a game-winning field goal from senior Alex Tomasek in the victory against Eastern has shown doubters that Jackson-Reed football poses strong competition. “He’s given the younger guys more confidence,” says senior captain Ian Wall, “He’s so athletic and has been able to make plays that others can’t. No matter what the situation is, he gives us a chance to make a big play, the definition of a game changer.”

Dockery, explaines that “in basketball we know we are going to win this game, [and we] carry that mindset to the court. With football our energy isn’t there yet, the culture is changing, but we need to work on it.” With the consistency the boys’ basketball team has experienced the past few years, it’s easy to see why there is confidence, but we all want to see it in football as well.

Explaining why he chose quarterback, Dockery said that he always wanted to be a leader.

“I’ve wanted to play QB since Little League,” Dockery said. Despite the improvement Dockery brings to the team, he says that he’ll solely be focusing on basketball during his senior season. In the age of competitive recruitment, two sport athletes are rare to come by, especially those wanting to play at the next level. 

Dockery explained that leadership responsibilities have made him a better basketball player. The act of making quick decisions and having a strong football IQ is directly transferable to the court. Don’t worry Tiger basketball fans, Dockery has been making sure to get shots up and continue his basketball training, with the season right around the corner. But for now, Jackson-Reed sports fans can enjoy this newfound success of Tigers’ football! •