By Ken Hansard
Independence High junior quarterback Javen Colbert fractured his ankle prior to his sophomore season. After a strenuous rehab regimen, Colbert returned to the gridiron to run for an eye-popping four touchdowns against Rose Hill. Now a junior, he is looking to make outstanding performances such as that his weekly routine.
Playing in the highly competitive SEK Conference, Colbert would love to lead the Bulldogs to a winning season. He knows that for them to turn things around, he will need to take on the mantle of leadership both on and off the field, “My role is to be one of the leaders and captains of the team.”
A couple of goals that Colbert has established for himself, besides leading Indy to a winning campaign, are to increase his productivity in both the passing game and the running game and to limit his mistakes – specifically his interceptions. He also worked hard in the offseason to prepare himself for the wear and tear that the daily grind can have on the body, “I hit the weightroom hard, and I worked a lot on reading the field better. I watched a lot of film over the offseason.”
Regardless of how the season plays out, Javen wants to be sure to enjoy the journey with his teammates, “I am looking forward to the time I get to spend with my teammates, both in practices and in games. I want to make every minute count.”
In the winter, Colbert plays basketball for the Bulldogs. He is strong in the classroom, also, sporting a 3.3 GPA. Even though he has almost two years of high school in front of him, Javen has a solid plan for life after high school. Following graduation, he plans to continue playing football collegiately, and hopefully on Sundays, eventually. He would also like to someday make a career in real estate.
