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LAPLACE — All eyes are on West St. John senior Jason August Jr., a scholar-athlete who strives to be a role model on and off the football field.

August was voted Mr. West St. John 2021-2022 and Mr. Congeniality 2021-22 by his peers. He also serves as team captain for West St. John’s football team and recently ended his senior season in the Class 1A quarterfinal round. Projected to graduate this Spring in the Top 10 of his class, August hopes to play college football while pursuing a degree in mechanical engineering.

August understood the great responsibility that came with the team captain title as teams across the River Parishes grapple with the aftermath of Hurricane Ida.

“When my team is down, I make sure that everybody is pumped up. Even when I’m feeling down, I have to make sure I’m good because I have people younger than me looking up to me,” August said. “This season, we’ve had a lot of stuff going on. We had a new head coach and a smaller team this year, so the seniors really had to step up and make sure we have a good season. It was really rough when we missed the first three weeks because of the hurricane. It messed up the rhythm of the season, but when we got back, it really toughened us. We had less games, so it pushed us to win more to make it to the playoffs.”

During his senior season, August accumulated more than 60 tackles, including more than 20 tackles for loss. He had eight sacks by the first round of the LHSAA playoffs. He was named to the first team all-district defensive line and offensive line lists for excellent contributions during his junior and senior seasons.

First-year head coach Greg Johnson said August was an integral part of the Rams’ defense.

“Jason August has been our stud that anchors our defensive line. He has a motor that is non-stop. He will just keep going, keep going, keep going,” Johnson said.

August has had football in his blood since he was a 4-year-old kid playing in the 5/6 age group. Although he played both sides of the ball in high school, he wants to stay true to his roots as a defensive lineman as he moves to the college level.

Now that his senior season has ended, it’s time to start making college choices.

“As soon as I started playing football, I always used to watch LSU, and it has always been my dream to be on TV playing football,” August said. “When it comes to the defensive line, I really look up to Aaron Donald as a big role model. I enjoy watching him, and it’s not even just his game. It’s how he moves off of the field.”

Going to the Super Dome when West St. John won the state championship during his eighth-grade year shaped August’s work ethic and set him on the path he follows today. Throughout his high school career, August has also thrown the discus and shot put on West St. John’s track and field team, in addition to serving as a versatile first and third baseman on the Rams baseball team. However, the only other passion that matches his love of football can’t be found on a field or a baseball diamond.

August is a member of West St. John’s Beta Club and STEM Club, and the latter has made him eager to pursue a career in mechanical engineering.

“Ever since I was young, we would do the school projects and I would always do something dealing with building electronics. I just fell in love with building stuff and making it work. That was another passion for me other than football,” August said.

Some of his experience in mechanics has come from winning science and social studies fairs every year since sixth grade. One year, he cut the bristles off a toothbrush and attached it to a battery-powered motor to make a moving robot. He’s also built electric grasshoppers that jump when a light shines on them.

After ending the football season with a bang, August is looking forward to finishing the baseball season and graduating near the top of his class. He credits his success to his parents, Chivan Hall and Jason August Sr.

“I look up to my parents a lot. They showed me to never give up, just keep pushing. I use that towards football,” August said. “I’m just a young scholar-athlete trying to make it to the next level and make sure my mom and dad have a better life.”