Cover Story

The Player

Print

Phillip "PJ" Katz

By Joey Rabinowitz; photography by Marcy J. Levinson

When most people think of a football player, a 5-foot-10 Jewish boy doesn't instantly come to mind. But Valdosta State freshman Phillip "PJ" Katz is changing that.

Katz joined the Blazers as a walk-on wide receiver for the 2007 season after redshirting last year. Wanting to stay in Georgia, Katz turned down a scholarship to a school in Pennsylvania to attend Valdosta State, a Georgia Division II school.

Though he is the only Jewish player on the team, Katz doesn't feel singled out. There is a Jewish presence at Valdosta State, including a Jewish club and a temple.

"It's kind of cool being the only Jewish kid," he says. "A lot of the guys don't even know about it."

The road to becoming a Blazer wasn't easy for Katz. He played high school ball at Brookwood, where he sat on the bench freshman and sophomore years, but started seeing playing time junior year. He started as a senior. His team made the state playoffs and went 14-1, losing in the championship game.

Katz was disappointed that he didn't get a scholarship to any colleges in Georgia out of high school, but he didn't give up.

"I was upset, but that just gave me more determination," Katz says. "I wasn't going to let not getting a scholarship stop me. So, here I am playing." Katz's high school coach got Katz on the Valdosta State team as a preferred walk-on.

As a nonscholarship player, Katz felt he had something to prove. His hard work on the field led some players to think he was a scholarship player.

Katz attributes his on-field determination to his love for the game.

"I'm just working hard to try to prove myself to my coaches and teammates so they can trust me when it comes to Saturday," Katz says.

This season, Valdosta experienced a change in the coaching position. Head coach Chris Hatcher left to take another job. The position was filled by Valdosta's offensive coordinator of seven years, David Dean.

Dean and Katz have a very good relationship, Katz says. Dean was the coach who took him on as a walk-on player.

"Coach Dean getting the job was awesome," Katz says. "He's the reason why I'm down here."

The transition has been smooth for the players, already familiar with Dean's style of play. The offensive game will remain unchanged.

Valdosta's offense has been praised for its explosive scoring attack. In Dean's first year as offensive coordinator, the team led the nation in total offense and total passing.

Katz is excited to be playing for such a dynamic offense, even if he doesn't see much playing time as a freshman. "I have so many seniors ahead of me," he says. "But I've been told to wait my turn and learn from those guys, and that's what I'm going to do."

Though he loves football, classes come first for Katz. A 3.0 student in high school, Katz felt it was important to focus on his studies in college. "I'm here to get my degree," he says.

Katz is studying history education and plans to become a teacher and a coach.

Katz says he is grateful for his opportunity to play for a Division II powerhouse like Valdosta and acknowledges that he couldn't have gotten there without the support of his family.

TOP