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A warrior but still unsung

© St. Petersburg Times,
published October 20, 2001

RIVERVIEW -- He lowers his head and plows into a mess of chests, arms and legs, getting all bruised and beat up.

And he does it every single offensive play (see 57 against Lakeland on Friday night).

And no, he isn't Avious Steadman, the Riverview running back getting most of the spotlight.

This guy's name is Paulus Jonathans. The one helping plow open the holes for Steadman. The guy who has scored three touchdowns in each of the past three games -- even though you might have missed his 1-yard plunges in the scrum that is Riverview's double wing-T.

"Nah, nobody knows about me," said Jonathans, a muscled 6-foot, 200-pound senior. "I'm just the guy following the "wedge.' That's what they call it, "the wedge.'

"The offensive line gets together and has this tremendous push, and I just follow it. I really don't know how much it has to do with me. So please, put in the paper that it has everything to do with the offensive line. Please put that in there."

Riverview coach Alex Albert begs to differ. "When people ask who is our best football player, I say Jonathans is one of them, right up there with the best," Albert said. "He can block, run, catch, he plays great defense, he's intense, he has strong instincts and eyes for the game."

In Friday's loss to Lakeland, Jonathans wanted a little more from himself.

Yes, he had rushed 11 times for 32 yards and scored all three Shark touchdowns, and yes, he had bulled ahead for two crucial fourth-down-and-1 plays, and played full-time at linebacker.

But there was one play, he said, that he would remember far more than any other.

Riverview had just scored its first touchdown to go ahead 6-0. The Sharks then converted a two-point conversion on a pass completion, but ... Jonathans was flagged for jumping offsides. The penalty yards were stepped off and the ensuing extra-point attempt sailed wide left.

"Yep, I jumped offsides, sure did," he said. "So yeah, that's the play I'll think about for a while."

"He was just trying to make a play," Albert said. "He was trying to get the perfect push off the ball. Just like he always does. I know he was doing his best, and you can't fault a kid for that.

"He'll get 'em next time. I know he will."

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