There is something special happening on the banks of the Flint River in Riverdale this fall. The Drew Titans started their season 4-0 for the first time since the school opened its doors in 2009. A closer look reveals that there is more than just winning games on Friday night that’s going on here.

“I think it's consistency, and loyalty,” says coach Steve Robinson, who is beginning his sixth season at the school. “Those two things. We've always had good kids; I just think that they've been consistent and stayed loyal to the goal that we set from the very beginning. We set a why to what we're doing, and a purpose to why we’re doing it. They set attainable, reasonable goals and they put the work behind it. I'm glad to see that, staying loyal to the process is bearing some good results for them.”

The last time Drew won four games in a season was in 2017. It is also the last time the Titans made it to the state playoffs. They were 3-7 last year and this season brought a change in classification and a productive off-season that was big on development and exposure.

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The hard work at Drew is paying off. The team is 4-0 for the first time.

Credit: Sam Crenshaw

“It was great,” exclaims Robinson. “The kids came in this summer, and we did a lot of development. We did a lot of competing. We went to the camps at different colleges. This year we had the opportunity to go to the University of Georgia, to Georgia Tech and to Georgia State. It was awesome. The coaches got a chance to get up close and personal with them and they got a chance to see what the expectation is like on another level. They really got to see what an individual must do to sharpen his tools.”

Robinson and his team were excited about the potential for the season. But, as the opening of the new school year was drawing near, the unthinkable happened. As practice was ending on July 29, 15-year-old De’lon Jackson received a call from his mother, Raven Winston. She had been involved in an auto accident at the entrance to the school and she could not move. De’lon rushed to help his mother get out of the car safely, but he ended up being struck by a car. His legs were so severely injured that the right leg had to be amputated. Jackson remains hospitalized and has undergone a series of surgeries.

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A near-fatal injury to De'lon Jackson has helped galvanized the team.

Credit: Raven Winston

“The kid is going through a lot,” says Robinson. “But he’s really upbeat. He's still a part of the program, obviously. I talked to him all the time, I go to see him, and we talk football. He's still in tune with what's going on here. We won't let him get outside the loop on that. He's still at Grady (Hospital).”

Jackson will soon leave Grady and will move to the Shepherd Center for his rehabilitation. Robinson is already planning how the team will continue to support their injured teammate.

“We are just looking at the next steps.” Robinson said. “We will be right there with him until he's back in school. We are going to see this through.”

The Titans dedicated the season to their injured teammate and opened the season with wins over Clayton County rivals Riverdale 13-6 and North Clayton 33-27. A 47-7 win over South Cobb made Drew 3-0 for the first time in school history. It was a start that even the coach found amazing.

 “These kids show resilience in a whole lot of ways,” says Robinson. “I can't take credit for this. They manage to keep the main thing, the main thing. They focus and channel energy the right way.”

After three wins it was time to open play in Region 4-4A. The first assignment was an improving Midtown team.

 “We knew going into the Midtown game that we were playing a good Midtown team,” recalls Robinson. “They have a new coach (Leroy Hood) and he's really doing good things at Midtown. We knew going in that it was going to be tough. We just put what we prepared into motion and, fortunately, we came out with some success coming away with the victory,”

Drew beat Midtown 19-0 and when I stopped by practice this week, it didn’t take long to notice the group that Robinson can’t stop talking about.

“The offensive line as a unit, those guys are really doing well, they're clicking,” says Robinson. “They're really creating lanes, creating past protections for the quarterback. Our running back, Jaylin Aquino, is off to a good start this year because of that offensive line and because of his work ethic.”

Aquino ran 29 times for 248 yards against Midtown.

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The offensive line has been at the center of Drew's turnaround this season.

Credit: Sam Crenshaw

Not to be outdone by the offense, the Titan defense has been formidable. In the first four games only North Clayton scored more than seven points against Drew. Last week Midtown was held scoreless.

“That was our first shutout of the year,” says Robinson. “These guys take pride in that. The entire defense is playing really tough. We’ve got Jahari Medlock and Jaden Knowlton. Those two guys are really holding it down up for us on the defensive line. Tray’vian Mizell, Julian Hall and Mikey Clawson are working at the linebacker position and that allows us to be a little bit more versatile.”

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Jaylin Aquino is the team's leading rusher.

Credit: Sam Crenshaw

The calendar may say September but with Pace Academy, Mays and Creekside as region rivals, this week’s game with Maynard Jackson could have a profound impact on the region’s postseason picture. Like the Titans, the Jaguars are also 4-0. There is a lot riding on this contest.

 “I really respect Coach (Eric) Williams a lot for what he's done, formerly at Southside and now at Maynard Jackson,” Robinson said. “He is a great coach, but he's an even better person. I'm happy for him. I just hate that we have to play each other under these circumstances. We just want to be as prepared as we possibly can be just make this a good game.”

With the undefeated record, the Drew football program is poised to go further into unchartered territory with a fifth consecutive win to start the 2024 season. With a player hospitalized from a catastrophic injury, Robinson and his coaching staff have managed to keep the Titans focused on each week’s contest. There is no road map, there is no manual, there is no textbook that tells you how to deal with the unexpected. The coach and the team lean on two very important words.

“Our motto is ‘Titan Tough,’” says Robinson. “Whatever happens, we will figure out a way to move forward. You do what's right by kids and you do what's in your heart. I think that we'll create our own handbook as we go. One day I hope we can look back at it and we will just see how far we've come and what kind of impact we've made.”

This week Football Fridays in Georgia will feature Mays at Creekside. It kicks off at 7:30 p.m. on the great GPB!