STRASBURG — Jacob Britton hasn’t been playing football for a long time, but he sure has made the most of his few years on the field.
The Strasburg senior offensive/defensive lineman started playing for the first time as a freshman and by his sophomore year he was starting on both sides of the ball.
“All my friends were playing it in middle school and my freshman year,” Britton said. “So I felt like, because I had my size, I felt like I could really go out there and have fun.”
Britton said it was an eye-opening season his freshman year as he learned a lot from the other players and he was starting by the end of the season.
“It was a real learning curve for me,” Britton said. “I didn’t really know what to do. I got pulled up to varsity preseason, learned a lot there, but was still pretty new to the game and just moved along with them. And by the end of the season, I started a couple games. But I wasn’t where I wanted to be. And then sophomore year, I learned a lot from the older guys in both classes, each year, and I feel like it really helped me to where I am today.”
Britton made big strides in his sophomore year and he said he was still learning a lot, while becoming a starter on both sides of the ball.
“It was really another big learning curve,” Briton said. “Just coming off freshman year, I was really excited, but I didn’t know how good I was going to be. But, again, playing with the older guys and them having a lot of experience it really helped me that year.”
While he’s a big part of a talented offensive line, Britton said he actually prefers playing on the defensive line.
“I just like fighting the offensive guy, just go get the guy and just run around,” Britton said.
The 6-foot-2, 260-pound Britton and the offensive line played a key role in Strasburg’s success last season, which saw the Rams advance all the way to the Class 2 state finals.
Strasburg head football coach Tripp Lamb said Britton is a big part of the offensive line.
“All those guys up front are pretty special — not just physically but mentally,” Lamb said. “They know what they’re trying to do. They know what other people are trying to take away. And Jacob’s really a vocal leader up front making the double-team calls, whether it be a center-guard double or a guard-tackle double. Calling out the different linebackers, calling out some pass protections or the two passes we got. He’s awesome for us up front. And I especially like how he’s grown into the mental side of it and really taking ownership of knowing what we’re trying to do because that’s when you get really special is when the guys play hard, but they’re also thinking while they’re playing hard. And that’s what he brings to the table.”
Britton said the offensive line group has a very special bond together.
“We’ve been a group of guys since way back when,” Britton said. “We’ve always been together. We’ve always been friends, always hanging out. I feel like that really helps us out on the field with the bond we have and we always work together. The bond has only increased and improved over the past couple years. We’ve all been getting better and working together. So when we get in tough situations and tough games nothing really surprises us or shocks us. We always know what to do.”
Last year was not only a special season for the Rams but also for Britton. He was named first-team All-State on both offense and defense.
Britton said his favorite memory from last season was having two key sacks against Poquoson in the Class 2 state semifinals.
Britton finished the season with 85 tackles, eight sacks and one interception.
The Rams went 13-2 and won the Region 2B title for the first time since 2001. Britton said it was a special season, but he knows the team can’t just hang their hat on what they accomplished last year.
“We had a really good run last year,” Britton said. “That senior group was really, really big and really fun to play with. But we have to take what we learned from that season and just keep building on it this season. Going to states was really fun, but we can’t focus on what happened there. We have to work our way back, because we know what it’s like to play the best, and that competition and the experience was really, really fun.”
Britton also plays basketball and baseball and he said he enjoys playing different sports and he feels like it helps him with football.
Lamb said Britton’s athleticism is one of the things that really helps him on the defensive line.
“I think what make him so special is he’s strong and he’s big, and he’s kind of tall, but he also moves really, really well,” Lamb said. “He runs well, but the thing I think he does really well is he moves side to side so good. Which makes it good for rushing the passer or getting off blocks and things like that. His lateral movement is really good. He’s pretty explosive. He can jump, he can run. I would say that’s the thing that sets him apart. There’s plenty of big strong guys that can run, but there’s not plenty of big strong guys that can run and move laterally the way that he does. And that really makes him tough to block.”
Lamb said Britton has really matured over the years and has also become more of a leader for the team.
Britton said he’s really enjoying being a leader for the team.
“I’ve really enjoyed leading, especially the offensive and defensive line groups, watching them grow and get a lot better over just the beginning part of the season,” Britton said.
One player who he’s been a leader for is his brother, Luke, a sophomore on the offensive and defensive lines. Britton said he’s enjoyed playing with his brother.
“He started playing his eighth grade year and he was really new to the game too,” Britton said of his brother. “He’s been, I guess, following in my footsteps, and I just try to set a good example of what needs to be done so he can take over my role. And this is my last year, so I’m really not taking everything for granted and having him up on varsity with us, it’s pretty fun.”
Britton has already received an offer to play for Ferrum College, a Division II school.
Britton said he’s focused on this season, and he wants to make the most of his final year at Strasburg.
“I just want to have a great season for my last season and go out with a bang,” Britton said.