For Douglas, it’s team 1st, recruiting 2nd

For the average high school student, summer time means sleeping late, working a part-time job and lots and lots of Fortnite.

But Terrebonne High School rising junior Jakhi Douglas is everything but average — both on and off the playing fields.

Douglas, a three-star receiver in the Class of 2020, spent his summer hard at work, showcasing himself at collegiate camps across the country, while also playing 7-on-7 football for one of the most prominent teams in the country, the Louisiana Bootleggers. That work has earned the young man acclaim around the country. He now owns scholarship offers to play college football for programs such as LSU, Alabama, Florida, Mississippi State and other national powers.

Oh yeah, and when he wasn’t doing that, he was doing 7-on-7 with Terrebonne High School’s football team or working with the school’s men’s basketball team.

Oh yeah, and when he wasn’t doing that, he was busy in the gym anyway, working to get bigger, faster and stronger before school begins.

And did we mention that he’s a quality student who will easily be an academic qualifier to perform at the next level?

When asked where he gets the time to fit it all in, Douglas laughs a little, then says that he’s not sure.

But Terrebonne football coach Gary Hill has an idea of how this young man fits it all into a 24-hour day and a 168-hour week. Hill’s explanation is simple, but perhaps makes the most sense. Douglas is just special — in every way.

“His work ethic is amazing,” Hill said. “He’s gotten a lot of attention and all of those great things, but what people need to know is that he’s getting that success because of his hard work. He’s put in so much time into getting himself better and I think it’s paying off. We’re very excited to see him on the field for us this coming season on Friday nights.”

Douglas’ ascent to recruiting stardom has come out of nowhere.

He joined Terrebonne’s team late into camp last season after a late-camp transfer from Ellender.

But he didn’t wait long to make his presence known.

Teamed with fellow playmaker Keshawn James and surrounded by playmakers all over the field, Terrebonne’s offense was outstanding last season, routinely hanging video game-like numbers on opponents.

James and Douglas were interchangeable pieces. Sometimes, one was at quarterback. Other times, it was the other. When James or Douglas isn’t at quarterback, they’re not too far away from the football — often at receiver or halfback.

The explosiveness is apparent. The Tigers scored 28 or more points in 9 out of 10 games. Douglas scored a lot of those touchdowns — especially late in the year.

The Tigers have a lot of players back in 2018 and many people think they’re going to be the top team locally, even in the treacherous jungle that is District 7-5A.

But Douglas said the Tigers aren’t intimidated, adding that he believes in his team, touting that all of the work they’ve put in during the offseason is to ready them for the months which lie ahead.

Last year, Douglas was primarily a quarterback, halfback and receiver. This year, he will also get looks defensively, as well as in the returning game for the Tigers.

“We have no fear,” Douglas said. “We trust ourselves and we know that everything is going to pay off. Our goals are to stick together, work as a team and we know that if we do that, we have a chance to take district, then win playoff games, then our No. 1 goal is to make it to the Dome. We think we have what it takes to get there.”

And if that happens, Douglas’ recruitment will explode even more.

Douglas said his summer has been magical — a time filled with memories which will last a lifetime. He said hearing famous coaches like Ed Orgeron, Nick Saban and others tell you that they want you in their programs is a feeling that never gets old.

Douglas said he isn’t into the “game” of recruiting right now, adding that he’s just fielding offers from programs around the country. From there, he said he will plan to narrow down his options and look to make a final decision.

“It’s a blessing,” Douglas said when asked how it feels to be under consideration from so many teams around the country. “It’s something I didn’t imagine would ever happen, but it feels good knowing that it did.”

Hill agreed and said the thing that impresses him the most about Douglas is that even with a giant spotlight over his head at all times, he’s always willing to step out of it and give love to his teammates, as well.

“He’s been a team player and a leader in our locker room, on the field and in the classroom,” Hill said. “He has a lot of things going on and he’s part of a lot of different teams, but he’s always been committed to our guys. He’s been with us when we’ve needed him and we can’t ask for much more than that.”

Jakhi Douglas

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