Haverford High’s Will Higson is Main Line Boys Athlete of the Week

The senior linebacker and football captain had a standout fall season in 2020, making 68 tackles – eight of them for losses – and received first team All-Central League and All-Main Line selection. He’s been a linebacker since he started playing football in sixth grade.

 

Q: How did you see your role as a team leader as a football team captain this fall, on and off the field, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic?

 

A: I saw being a leader as super important this year because of the given circumstances. I had to make sure the team was following protocols so that we could play the season, and most importantly I had to keep everyone positive. With the uncertainty of the season and whether or not we would get the chance to play, it was very important for me to make sure everyone was positive and working hard so we were ready for whatever kind of season we were going to get. 

Q: Tell us a little about your football training since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. What did you find to be the biggest challenge to your training during the first months of the pandemic, and how did you handle that?

 

A: Once the pandemic started, I was forced to train at my house. I was fortunate enough to have a good amount of equipment where I could continue to train, and I actually increased my training because of all of the newfound time I had on my hands. 

 

Q: What is your most vivid memory of this just-completed Haverford High football season?

A: My most vivid memory of this past football season was the start of the first game of the 2020 season. We were facing Upper Darby, and it was my favorite memory because it was the start of my final high school football season that I was not sure I was going to get. We finally got to play the season after lots of uncertainty and waiting 

 

 Q: Who is your favorite football player and why?

 

A: My favorite football player is Jason Kelce, because of his leadership and toughness. He is a true leader for my favorite team, the Philadelphia Eagles, and he is an instrumental part of them and was in their Super Bowl run. He also is one of the toughest players in the NFL – he almost never misses games and plays through tough injuries for his team. 

 

 

Q: Who have been your biggest football mentors, and what was the most important thing you learned from each one?

 

A: My biggest mentors start with all of my coaches. My coaches from 6th-8th grade at St. Denis were huge mentors for me and taught me how to play the game of football. My Haverford High coaches, especially head coach Joe Gallagher and Coach Milewski, the defensive coordinator, were also mentors – they trusted me to play for three years and I have learned accountability and leadership. Another mentor is my older brother, who over the years has taught me how to compete. 

 

 

Q: Tell us a little about your pre-game preparation the day of a game.

 

A: I like to sit and listen to music for an hour or two before the game and get mentally prepared and focused. I then stretch and get my legs moving before the team gets together to talk and take the field for warm ups. 

 

Q: You wore uniform jersey No. 40 for Haverford High football. Why did you pick this number – was there a particular reason?

 

A: When I was a freshman, I got the last pick for a number since I was the youngest, so I got 40. I thought my freshman year went well, so I decided to keep it for the next year, and it became my number for the rest of my Haverford High football career.

 

Q: What is your favorite course at Haverford High School? What do you think you might want to major in at college? Is there a career field that particularly interests you at the present time?

 

A: I enjoy the business courses and math courses at Haverford High School. At the time, there is no career field that I am sold on, but I am interested in possible business or math majors. 

 

Fun facts – Will Higson

Favorite TV show: It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia.

Favorite movie: Scarface.

Favorite athlete: Jason Kelce.

Favorite pre-game pump-up song: Power – Kanye West.

Favorite team: Philadelphia Eagles.

Favorite place to visit: Jersey shore.

Favorite pre-game meal: Chicken. 

Person I most admire, and why: “My parents, because of how they have set a great example for me to follow; and my brother, because of how he has paved the way for me.” 

Family members: parents John and Judy, brother John.

 

(To be selected as Main Line Boys Athlete of the Week, a student-athlete must first be nominated by his coach.)