Lindsey brothers helping power West Jones

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Certain last names become synonymous with certain high school football programs. Generations of the same family have come through the West Jones program and had success, and the name Lindsey is etching its way into Mustangs lore. 

Quarterback Marlon and receiver Kymaurion “Tootie” Lindsey are five grades apart, but the senior signal-caller and the eighth-grade standout are making an impact on the varsity level at the same time. The younger Lindsey will be the first to admit that jumping from seventh-grade junior high ball straight into starting on the varsity team in a year’s time wasn’t as easy as he makes it look on Friday nights.

“It was really different at first, you know, everyone is just so much faster at the high-school level,” Tootie Lindsey said. “I have to go out there and watch what I’m doing on every snap and do what I can to make the team as good as possible.

“Being able to catch passes from my brother is something that I’ve always wanted to do. To be able to be out there with him is one of the highlights of this year. Hearing everyone talk about the Lindsey brothers is really fun and it feels great.”

But this hasn’t been the first season that the older Lindsey showed off his talents. Lindsey was a star receiver for the Mustangs in 2020 before he switched positions to play quarterback. 

Marlon played well enough at wide receiver that every scholarship offer he has is for that position. He and Alan Follis – Jones College’s current starting quarterback – made for a lethal connection during the Mustangs’ championship run in 2020.  Now in his second season as starting quarterback, Marlon is beginning to feel more comfortable.

“Switching from quarterback to wide receiver on the varsity team was a big change for me, but when I was in seventh grade, I came in and started taking snaps at quarterback along with doing my wide-receiver work,” he said. “So, just learning the offense from two different points of view really helped me in my transition. But there’s still a big difference between all of the pre-snap reads and everything you have to do at the two different positions.

“Alan really helped me a lot, as well. He kinda took me under his wing when he was here and taught me a lot. A lot of what I learned about being a leader, I learned from him. He would show us younger players how to step up and play a big role.” 

It’s no surprise to Follis that Lindsey has had success under center, and he believes the future is bright for the Mustangs’ quarterback.

“Marlon is an outstanding athlete and an even better person,” Follis said. “He’s like a little brother to me, and I’m so proud of what he’s done taking over at quarterback. I’m not one bit surprised by how successful he’s been so far, and he will continue to be because of his work ethic. He will be a very good wide receiver one day in college.”

West Jones head coach Scott Pierson also isn’t surprised the two brothers are major contributors. He cites their talent and work ethic as reasons for their success. 

“He (Marlon) really leads us out there, getting us set up and everything else,” Pierson said. “You can tell how comfortable he is now at the quarterback position, and that’s a change from last year, when it seemed like he was just learning how to play. This year is going to be a lot better for him. 

“The thing that makes him different is just how competitive he is. Every play, he wants to play, and he wants to win. It’s a Thursday afternoon, on a bye week, and he’s out here running sprints with the other guys, and he is trying to win every single sprint. That’s the type of leader he is. A lot of other stars might try to take a play off or something like that or slack off at practice. That’s not Marlon Lindsey, though. He wants to compete at everything he does.”

While Marlon is the focal point of the offense, Tootie Lindsey is just as important as anyone at the receiver position, as the Mustangs are still trying to fill the role of Southern Miss commit Mathew Nixon. 

“Mathew (Nixon) went down, and I was pushed onto the field to fill his spot,” Tootie Lindsey said. “I mean, he’s such a talented player, and a D-I commit, so it would have been huge for the team to have him this season. But now it’s my turn to try to fill his shoes, and I’m going to try to do that the best I can on every play. It’s not going to be easy to fill someone like his spot and role, but I’m just pushing to get better every snap.” 

Pierson realizes the talent that Tootie possesses, and just how much of a role he can play for not only the team this season, but also for the future as well. 

“Tootie’s upside is limitless,” Pierson said. “He’s probably another guy that is going to say, ‘down, set, hut’ in the future here at West Jones. I’ve gotten the chance to coach all four of the brothers here, and their mother Jackie has done a great job raising them, and giving me the chance to coach them. They are a great family, and have a bunch of great kids.”

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