Jacksonville, AL – Jacksonville State’s homecoming will be like a homecoming for Southern Miss defender and Oxford graduate Booth.
By Joe Medley
Jacksonville State will celebrate homecoming on Saturday, but not exclusively.
One Southern Miss player views Saturday’s 2 p.m. game on Burgess-Snow Field at AmFirst Stadium similarly,
“When I saw them on the schedule, I said, ‘Jacksonville State! Whaaat?’” senior defensive end and Oxford High graduate Kristin Booth said. “It’s funny that we’re going there, too.
“I’m glad we’re going there. I want to play in front of people I know. It’s going to be like a home game for me, personally.”
A home game with familiar faces playing for Jacksonville State.
Booth said he and former Oxford teammate Clay Webb won’t likely have many direct confrontations Saturday. Webb is Jax State’s All-American guard, and Booth only occasionally moves inside like a defensive tackle.
They sparred often at Oxford, when Webb was a five-star recruit and Booth a three-star prospect.
“Everyday,” Booth said. “Every drill I did, we were going against each other constantly.”
Booth calls Jax State defensive end J-Rock Swain “my best friend” and a player with whom he shares fond memories. They teamed on Oxford’s defense during the Yellow Jackets’ 2019 state-championship season.
Swain had a way of firing Booth up before big games and big moments.
The Yellow Jackets beat region nemesis Pinson Valley during the regular season and faced them again, in the Class 6A semifinals.
“Pinson Valley, fourth round, he looked at me,” Booth said. “He looked at me and said, ‘I ain’t losing to Pinson Valley again.’
“That’s all he needed to say. I didn’t have to say anything back to him. He already knew what I was thinking.”
Oxford won that game 31-28 and went on to beat Spanish Fort 14-13 in the 6A final at Auburn’s Jordan-Hare Stadium. Swain stoked his friend again, before the Yellow Jackets made their final stand.
“We needed to get a stop to win the game, to give our offense a chance to try to drive down and win the game,” Booth said. “Before we stepped on the field at Auburn, he looked at me, and I looked at him.
“I said, ‘Let’s go win this!’ He said. ‘Let’s go do it!’”
The two still communicate often, but not this week. They likely won’t talk until after Saturday’s game, where they just might pose a picture on the field, holding each other’s jerseys.
“He’s still my dog,” Booth said.
Booth and Swain could’ve been teammates at Jax Sate. As it was with Swain, John Grass’ staff started recruiting Booth late in the game. Swain changed his commitment from Austin Peay to Jax State, then an FCS program, but Booth followed his leaning to Hattiesburg.
“I definitely would’ve went, if they’d got on me,” Booth said.
Jax State’s move up to FBS, starting in the 2023 season, helped to bring about the Gamecocks’ home-and-home series with Southern Miss. Jax State announced intentions to move up in November of 2021, began expanding its roster in 2022 and announced a two-game deal with USM in February 2023.
They play the first game of the deal Saturday, and Jax State will go to Hattiesburg next year.
It worked out that Booth got to play a game 20 miles north of his high school alma mater as a senior.
Booth is playing under his fourth defensive line coach at Southern Miss but enjoying life under new defensive coordinator Clay Bignell’s system. The 6-foot-3, 260-pound Booth gets to play his senior year with his ears pinned back.
“I’m more of an attack defensive end,” he said. “Last year, I was more of a read, stay-on-the-line-of-scrimmage, make-the-quarterback-hand-off-the-ball kind of defensive end.
“This year, it’s more get up the field. Everything is about a first step for me.”
Booth has appeared in 41 career games with 25 starts, including starts in all three games this season. He has 72 career tackles and 5.5 sacks,
He has two tackles this season but leads the Golden Eagles with two sacks.
“I’m a little frustrated this year, because a lot of people don’t run the ball to the field-end side,” he said. “I don’t know why they don’t run the ball to me.
“I just try to get in on the plays I can get in on.”
