THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, November 10, 1994 TAG: 9411100757
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PAUL WHITE, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: Medium: 76 lines
He stands 6-foot-3, can throw a football 60 yards on a spiral and has passed for more than 4,700 yards in four high school seasons.
Now if Catholic High's Jimmy Whitehead would just stop hitting people so hard, he may actually get to throw it a little more in college.
``The thing people don't realize about Jimmy is he's one of the keys to our defense,'' Catholic coach John O'Hara said of the senior linebacker/defensive back who doubles as one of the most prolific passers in area history.
College coaches discovered Whitehead's defensive prowess last summer, when the 200-pounder lit into more than his share of ballcarriers during a University of Virginia summer camp.
``There were a lot of quarterbacks up there, so I had to do other things to stand out,'' Whitehead said. ``I worked harder on my defense, and I guess I was more impressive there.''
It wouldn't be the first time a standout area quarterback has shifted to defense in the college ranks; Granby's Pete Allen at Virginia and Indian River's Tony Morrison at Virginia Tech are two recent examples.
Nor is Whitehead opposed to such a move.
``I like the contact,'' he said. ``As a quarterback, you don't get many chances to hit people.''
But while Whitehead's defensive abilities have to be seen to be appreciated, his passing numbers speak for themselves. Whitehead will take the field at 7:30 tonight at Harbor Park against archrival Norfolk Academy needing just 66 passing yards to top the 1,000-yard mark for the fourth straight year.
And if he goes crazy and throws for 294 - 13 more than his career best - he'd join Wilson's Aaron Sparrow and Princess Anne's Buster O'Brien as the only 5,000-yard passers in area history.
``It's like I tell the (college) coaches, Jimmy's not a thrower, he's a passer,'' O'Hara said. ``He can throw the deep post, the flag, anything you want.
``He's also like another coach on the field. I've given him complete freedom to audible, and he's done it. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. For the most part, it's worked.''
Whitehead is also tough, having started every game in his career.
``I always tell people the only way I'm not going to start is if I get both legs broken and there's no way I can walk,'' he said.
Since he plays at a private school, however, many of Whitehead's exploits have gone unnoticed.
``It kind of upsets me sometimes,'' he said. ``Not that I wish I had gone to a public school. I just think people should give the guys at private school the same respect.''
Whitehead apparently has the respect of Division I colleges. According to O'Hara, coaches from Virginia, Nebraska, Wake Forest, Maryland and Rutgers have visited the Virginia Beach school in the past year.
It looks like they're going to have to wait awhile, though. Although Whitehead has improved dramatically in the classroom the past two years, he will most likely have to start at a junior college next fall, O'Hara said.
Meanwhile, O'Hara will be forced to deal with life minus his four-year stalwart on both sides of the ball.
``I don't want to even think about it,'' O'Hara said.
Ironically, the Whitehead era at Catholic began rather pitifully. His first game - the school's first since suspending the sport for a year in 1990 - was a 62-0 loss to Franklin, a team which had been winless the previous season.
``It was disappointing, but I knew we had a lot of young guys who had never played (varsity) football before,'' Whitehead said. ``I figured I'd get better.''
Better, as it turns out, than anyone could have imagined. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by CHARLIE MEADS
Jimmy Whitehead, quarterback and a key defensive player, will lead
Catholic High School against Norfolk Academy tonight.
by CNB