Every fall, before the final away game of the football season, Towson coach Gordy Combs has each of his seniors give a speech. John Webb is a little concerned about giving his.
“No idea: I’ll probably just wing it,” Webb said. “Just get up there and thank some people.”
Recommended Stories
But Webb?s speech is already written. It’s etched on the turf at Unitas Stadium, where the linebacker surpassed his goal of becoming one of the five leading tacklers in school history career tackles, as he is two stops away from becoming No. 4 on the list.
His speech is also written in the classroom, as Webb will graduate with his biology degree this winter. And it’s scribbled on the numerous awards Webb has garnered for his accomplishments at the Charles Street institution.
So what’s to worry about?
“I expect a lot of tears. Its always pretty emotional,” senior tailback Nick Williams said. “It’s something Coach Combs has been doing for a while. John has been around for so long, and he’s such a good leader. It’s going to be hard for him to say good-bye.”
But Combs will miss the 6-foot-3, 220-pounder most.
“I can’t say enough positive things,” Combs said. “He could play free safety, he could play tight end, defensive end, linebacker. We really thought about playing him at inside linebacker after his freshman year.”
After starting at either outside linebacker or strong safety as a freshman, Webb was moved down to defensive end. He’s added about 30 pounds and grown almost and inch, by Combs’ estimations. He saw the team go from winless in conference play in 2004 to contending for a playoff spot in last season.
“It’s gone very fast,” Webb said. “I was just thinking about it the other day, and we’ve only got four games left. It’s gone really fast.”
Webb made 95 tackles as a freshman and has seen his numbers in that category decline – 69 as a sophomore, 59 as a junior – as he has moved closer to the line of scrimmage. This year, he serves as a hybrid outside linebacker-defensive end.
“It shows how versatile he really is,” said senior safety Kenny Scott, Webb?s teammate at Winslow Township (N.J.) High. “We call him ‘Slash’ around here because he plays so many roles on the team. He’s accepted every role and just took it for what it was. I have more respect for him because of that.”
But Webb also standouts out in the classroom, as the three-time All-Conference academic selection will take his Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) after graduation, and pursue a career in sports medicine, with the goal of becoming a physician for a sports team.
Last week, he was awarded the Doc Minnegan Scholarship as the outstanding Tigers student-athlete, and was named as a semifinalist for the Draddy Trophy, a national award given to a football player for success on the field, in the classroom and in the community.
“He’s one of those special football players,” Combs said. “As good as a football player is, he’s a better person.”
TOWSON (3-4) VS. COLGATE (3-3)
KICKOFF: Today, 1 p.m.
WHERE: Andy Kerr Stadium, Hamilton, N.Y.
TV/RADIO: None/ 1570 AM
TICKETS: Available
