OMHS senior Jackson Murphy thrives in football, soccer

During the second weekend of May, Jackson Murphy came through when his team needed him most. The Oak Mountain High School forward scored three goals in two games to propel the Eagles’ soccer team to a third straight Class 7A state title. 

But he didn’t rest on the performance for long.

The following Friday, Murphy traded his shin guards for shoulder pads as he prepared for Oak Mountain’s spring football jamboree against Helena. The game contained minuscule meaning, but Murphy’s play left an imprint on head coach Cris Bell, who watched his linebacker gravitate toward the football and make a full-extension interception. 

“He’s just always around the football,” Bell said. “When he gets there, he knows how to finish the play.”

It’s an unconventional pairing, soccer and football, but Murphy has excelled at both during his time at Oak Mountain. 

Now a senior, he’s been making the most of his final fall on the high school gridiron. Through the season’s first half, Murphy has anchored a much-improved Eagles defense. In a Sept. 8 game against Huffman, for instance, he recorded an interception, fumble recovery and safety. 

Entering the 2017 slate, Murphy felt confident about his unit’s prospects. 

“We’ll be a pretty solid defense this year,” he said. “If we stop the run, I think we’ll be fine on the pass.”

Murphy’s  preparation for the fall began immediately after the soccer season ended. As usual, the transition was accompanied by a need to gain weight, which for Murphy has been the most challenging part of juggling two sports with disparate physical demands. 

At 5 feet 11 and 190 pounds, he finds himself in a biannual cycle of conforming his body to the current season. 

“It was a challenge when I started, especially when I was doing both in middle school,” Murphy said, “but I’ve just gotten used to it now."

The turn from spring to fall calls for an increased focus on lifting weights and sculpting muscle. The leap from fall to spring means extra running as Murphy tunes his body for the pitch. 

Despite the original difficulty, he has leveraged the challenge to his advantage and now  sees the two sports as complementary. 

The stamina he builds during the soccer season carries into football, helping to sustain his energy level when games reach the fourth quarter. The football season creates a reciprocal impact. 

“Football probably gets me a little more built,” Murphy said. “In soccer, I need that to hold off defenders when I’m trying to dribble or pass the ball.”

Murphy’s build has always stood out to Oak Mountain boys soccer coach Dan DeMasters, but it’s Murphy's control over his build that has impressed his coach the most. He possesses a technique and touch that is rare for sturdier players, and he moves well off the ball. 

“That’s what makes him special,” DeMasters said. 

Murphy has started at forward since his sophomore year and has ranked among the team’s scoring leaders each season. He was named MVP of the 2017 state tournament for his three-goal performance. 

The same instincts that perpetuated his recent soccer success have accompanied Murphy back to the football field this fall. But instead of chasing assists and goals, he’s been tackling quarterbacks and falling on fumbles.

“He’s a good soccer player,” Bell said, “but he’s got a chance to be a really, reallygood linebacker.”