Carmen Macri
Collegiate Football Program Comes to Jacksonville Community College
Words by Carmen Macri
Jacksonville recently welcomed its very first community college football program at Jacksonville Athletic Academy Christian College, which is huge news for the city. Necho Carroll and his brother first launched the program in early 2021 aiming to give student-athletes who missed out on their senior year a chance to earn athletic scholarships to NCAA Division I or II schools. And over the last three years, they’ve done just that with dozens of athletes moving forward to play college football while continuing their education at schools like Edward Waters University, William Penn University, Shorter University, New Mexico Highlands University, Tennessee Tech University, Bethune Cookman University, Albany State University, Allen University and
Independence College.
Folio spoke with Carroll, the athletic director for the program, on the impact the team has had —on Jacksonville.
“Jacksonville has an abundance of athletic talent that often gets overlooked, and our goal is to provide high school graduates with a platform to develop physically while excelling academically,” Carroll explained. “We are also proud of the fact that over half of our student-athletes are the first in their families to attend college. If the JAA’s athletic opportunity did not exist, many would not have sought college as a choice.”
One of their biggest challenges for Carroll was launching their college program in a region where junior college football doesn’t have a strong presence. Florida is best known for its big four-year programs like Florida State, University of Florida and University of Miami. In Jacksonville, high school football is deeply rooted in the culture, but junior college football isn’t as familiar here in Northeast Florida as it is in other states.
“Many talented athletes in our community are overlooked and don’t find opportunities after high school to continue their athletic careers,” Carroll shared.
Their recruitment strategy centers on building strong connections with local high schools and community leaders, hosting events, attending high school games and working closely with high school coaches. They also plan to integrate the team into the community by partnering with local nonprofits and businesses like Operation Barnabas, Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), The ReCommit Brand and Achieve Fitness.
“Our long-term goal is to build lasting connections between the team and the broader Jacksonville community,” Carroll shared. “We welcome more opportunities with businesses to contribute and be a part of this life-changing program.”
Safety Amari George had this to say about his experience in the program.
“Overall, this program offers players the chance to pursue their dreams while receiving a solid education in a positive environment. We hope it also brings recognition to the school and community where many of us come from,” George shared. “The biggest challenge I’ve faced is helping young players from diverse backgrounds adapt to the college pace, which is quite different from high school. It involves instilling a stronger sense of responsibility as football increasingly becomes a business the further they progress. Having been given a second chance myself, I want to pass that on to others. People who know me see how much I enjoy the program.”
The goal for the program is to inspire local high school athletes to see college as a real option — not just for sports but for academics too. By laying out a clear path to earn an associate’s degree while they keep playing football, the program encourages young players to go after both their educational and athletic goals, even if college wasn’t in their original plan. It’s all about opening doors and creating new chances for local talent to thrive.
“In the long term, we want to build a nationally recognized program to be a feeder for D1 and D2 programs. We aim to develop our own campus and facilities in Jacksonville while expanding the program to include other sports like women’s flag football, basketball, baseball, and men’s and women’s soccer,” Carroll shared. “Our vision is to create a Christian-centered athletic and academic environment that attracts more students, builds great character citizens and leaders for them to be ready for the workplace, athletic profession and life.”
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