Great read for JA17 fans on ESPN
I think this little story describes who Josh is as a person
IN 1976, JOSH'S grandfather, Buzz, donated land to build what would become Firebaugh High School. Before that, kids from Firebaugh had to attend Dos Palos High, which was a good 15 miles away. Naturally, when the schools split, an intense rivalry was born between the two, with Dos Palos dominating for years.
When Buzz died in 2014, Firebaugh played Dos Palos three months later on what would have been his birthday. The week of the game, Josh pulled his dad aside. "I'm going to give you the greatest gift ever," he said. "We're going to beat Dos Palos."
Joel appreciated the confidence ... but come on? Dos Palos? Josh's Firebaugh team had gotten thumped 42-6 the year before.
But Josh came through. He threw for 356 yards and four touchdowns, and Firebaugh won 52-28. After the game, Joel cried on the field. He tried not to. He tried to rub his eyes and purse his lips and avoid the tears. But he couldn't stop it.
"I'm a big baby," Joel says. "And I couldn't hold it in that day."
https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/...career-journey