In a family full of football players, Jasper High School senior JD Kimbrell didn’t follow the same script.
While his father, brother, and cousins all gravitated toward the gridiron, Kimbrell remembers spending his childhood in the yard with a baseball in hand.
“I started when I was four years old. It all started with my parents and me out in the yard,” Kimbrell said. “I pretty much grew up with a baseball in my hand, and I’ve been playing it my whole life.”
His passion for the game only grew stronger. Kimbrell became a year-round baseball player, logging countless hours on the diamond through the travel ball circuit. One tournament in particular – a trip to Myrtle Beach when he was 12 years old – still sticks with him.
“We were really good,” Kimbrell said. “So, we played against some really good competition. We did really well in that tournament, but we got sent home pretty early because we’d been beaten by a very good team that was probably one of the best.”
Even today, Kimbrell is making memories through the game with the same excitement – taking beach trips during spring break and getting a condo with all of his closest friends, all while getting to play baseball.
“That’s probably the most fun we have all year,” Kimbrell said. “We all just connect and have a great time.”
By the time his playing days at Valley Park began, Kimbrell had played every position on the field except outfield. Sitting behind the dish became his comfort spot, and first base came naturally.
With loads of experience came a sense of responsibility for Kimbrell.
“I can lead on the field,” Kimbrell said. “I’m a very vocal guy on the field. I know what’s going on. I know what’s happening. And, if the younger guys ever have a question, they usually just come up to me.”
Kimbrell remembers being one of the younger guys, leaning on older teammates for direction. He says their leadership stuck with him. Now, he’s the one providing it.
“My freshman year, we had some good players,” he added. “All the guys… they helped everybody. They picked everybody up, and they were there to help.”
Upon graduation, Kimbrell will join the baseball family at Bevill State Community College. Signing with the Bears on November 12, the decision felt right from the jump.
“It just felt like home,” Kimbrell said. “ It’s like an hour away, and coach (Steve) Woodard really liked me as a player. He was an easy coach to talk to, and he acted like he really wanted me up there.”
At Bevill, Kimbrell plans to room with close friend and Jasper teammate, John Walker Wilson, who inked with the Bears on the same day, making the signing even sweeter.
But before college ball arrives, Kimbrell has one more mission in black and gold: win a state championship.
“There’s a different type of energy this year,” Kimbrell said. “ I think it’s going to be really good.” TG
Photos by Al Blanton
A special thanks to our sponsor, Insurance & Investment Consultants – Randy Barnes.
