Western Tech's Juleon Killikelly-Lee is just a junior playing his first year at quarterback, but he is playing much older and wiser than that.
Coach Alan Lagon said he chose Killikelly-Lee to play the position this season "because he's a fairly mature individual, a competitor and really fast. He has a good head on his shoulders."
Killikelly-Lee, who runs the 40 in 4.3 seconds, manages the Wolverines' triple-option offense with a calm skill that has helped his team to a 7-0 record, the best start in school history. He has had a hand in 18 touchdowns, passing for 10 of them, rushing for six and scoring two others on a 64-yard punt return and a 99-yard interception return. The offense he directs has outscored opponents, 221-68.
And his offensive role isn't even the one he prefers. It is at defensive back that Killikelly-Lee feels most comfortable; he leads the team in interceptions with three.
Question:
Why do you prefer playing defense?
Answer:
I like the intensity of it. I like trying to stop the other team from scoring. I like sticking the other person, and I just love running. I never get tired of it, and I love the teamwork, too. I run track, too (Killikelly-Lee won first in state competition last year in the 200 and finished second in the 100). And playing defense helps me on offense. I know what a defensive back is thinking and going to do. It helps me to know what to look out for.
Q:
You have a very pretty name. Are you from Baltimore or elsewhere?
A:
Thank you. I grew up in the Woodlawn area. My mom is from Ghana in South Africa. I haven't been there yet, but one day I want to go.
Q:
When did you start playing football?
A:
I've been playing football since I was 10 years old. I started playing for a team around the corner from our house, the Banneker Huskies. It was Pop Warner. My cousins coached, and I played defensive end, linebacker and center.
I asked to play. The year before they wanted me to play, but I was too scared then. I couldn't remember anything when I was 9. But the next year I wanted to try, and I surprised myself.
Q:
Judging by the scoring margins of your Western Tech games, none of them have been close. Is playing the game easy for you?
A:
Practice is hard, and the games are harder than practice. Games aren't easy at all. You don't get to repeat anything in a game. It's all-or-nothing. You have to be right at the moment, or it's bad for your team.
I've only had one interception this season, in the New Town game. It made me kind of mad. I should have thrown the ball harder. But none of the games have been close. No worries yet. I feel after a certain point in the game we get comfortable and we get rolling. It feels good. At that point we just keep doing what we're doing. Only positives can come from it.
Q:
Is football the most exciting thing you've experienced?
A:
Riding my first roller coaster. I was afraid, but I kept getting back on and on. I liked the speed. I'd think what if something bad happens, but you've got to push that out of your mind and only think about the good.
Q:
Is that like football?
A:
That's a good point. In football, too, you have to look at the positive part. You have to see a good outcome.
Q:
Do you think about that before a game?
A:
To me, football is all mental. It has to be in your mind all the time. You have to plan it out in your mind before you actually have to do it. It's like a mental repetition. In class, when we're not doing work, I think about specific plays. You have to get your mind right. On the bus on the way to games, I think about what I have to do.
Q:
Speaking of classes, what are your favorites?
A:
I like psychology, and I like theater arts. I like the way you can express yourself with the skits you have to do. You can't go wrong. I'd like to be a performer in my future if football doesn't work out. I have my eyes set on football if the chance comes around.
Q:
If you could meet anyone, who would it be?
A:
I was going to say some NFL football player, but I think the person I'd really like to meet is [ President Barack] Obama. I'd like to ask him, "How did you do it?" It's amazing to have a black president. I'd like to ask him, "How does it feel?"
I think it matters that he's been elected. He's the first black president. It's a big change in our world. It means anybody can do anything. It means there are a lot of opportunities out there for people.
Q:
What's the best thing about being a junior at Western Tech, and what's your goal for this year?
A:
Having another year to play football. As for goals, I want us to have a winning season. I'd like us to win the state championship. I'd like good grades. Our first report cards come out in about a week, and I think I'm doing OK. And my third goal is to try my hardest at anything I do.