PEMBROKE — Walking into the The Purnell Swett High School media center on a typical weekday would require an inside voice as students, with their heads hidden behind books and computers, study for upcoming exams.
During early afternoon on Wednesday, soft whispers were replaced by echoing applause from family, friends and community members as Purnell Swett senior catcher Katlyn Jones became the first Robeson County athlete to accept the Professional Athletes Foundation Student Scholarship, awarded by the Charlotte chapter of the NFL Players Association.
The honor is designated for high school seniors planning to continue their athletic endeavors at a two-year or four-year college. The top male and female athlete from each region is granted a $2,500 stipend.
Jones used one word to describe her emotions after beating out student-athletes from both North and South Carolina.
“Amazing,” she said.
“All the people here—all the support is just what got me here. My parents are my biggest supporters,” she added after posing for pictures with NFLPA representative Liz Benavides along with Rowland native and former NFL All-Pro fullback Vonta Leach.
One of those supporters is Lady Rams softball coach William Deese, who nominated Jones, fellow teammate JaiLeana Deese as well as Purnell Swett soccer standout Maddison Oxendine for the scholarship. Oxendine finished third place and was awarded a certificate, while JaiLeana Deese finished in fourth place.
William Deese says he hopes Jones’ breakthrough moment will be an eye-opener for student-athletes across the county to have the courage to apply for similar honors and scholarships.
“Our kids are smart and well deserving of what they get. I’m proud of her,” he said. “It’s good for our community, our athletics and especially good for our females.”
Jones also took the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of both Oxendine and JaiLeana Deese, who have already signed to play at the next level in the fall.
The four-year starter behind the plate for the Lady Rams inked a letter of intent with Birmingham Southern College, a decision that has been a year in the making. Jones’ travel softball team in South Carolina last summer was coached by Jeff Gillespie, who is an assistant coach at Birmingham Southern. She says he noticed how well she was playing and implored her dad Justin Jones, who was also the assistant coach on the travel team, to come to the Alabama-based campus for a visit.
“At the time I was like, ‘Birmingham? Daddy, that’s Alabama,’” Jones said. “But we looked into it, and I talked to him (Gillespie) more and when I went there, I fell in love.
“The campus is so beautiful. It just sells itself, really.”
Jones also credited the “great atmosphere” among the girls on the current Lady Panthers roster who made her feel like family, providing flashbacks to her first year playing high school ball.
“When I came in freshman year, I was really nervous about being on varsity but the girls made me feel so welcome,” she said.
Deese has known Jones for 10 years and couldn’t help but crack a smile when reflecting on her journey both on the field and off.
“Over the years, she’s gone from the little girl that didn’t really say a whole lot, that was bashful, to the young lady who’s in charge,” he said of Jones. “She’s an epitome of a leader and she does all the little things. To be so small, she’s got a strong voice.”
Jones said she used that “strong” voice to build a bond with one of the most talented freshmen classes in the school’s recent history.
“Only being three seniors, we all knew we had to step up our game a little bit this year because these girls were looking up to us…and I was in that position once, so I kind of knew how they felt,” she said.
She says that regular sleepovers and similar team-building activities helped foster an off-field connection that translated to success on the field. The Lady Rams finished with a 14-9 record, marking two straight seasons the team reached the second round of the NCHSAA 4A state playoffs.
“She’s probably been one of the hardest workers that I know of and she gives everything to the game,” Deese said. “These last two years, she’s been big in big games. She’s been a lot more consistent than her first couple years. She’s just been a bat you can depend on.”
Jones finished the season with a .333 batting average, including 25 hits and 16 RBIs. She ratcheted up her play late and led the group with four hits and four RBIs in the two postseason games.
Deese says Jones will be an asset to Birmingham Southern both in the classroom and within the diamond as she joins a Lady Panthers team coming off a 35-7 season.
