Wadford men celebrate 30 years of All-Stars

Special to The Canton News 

In the fall of 1993, Canton Academy senior Jay Wadford never guessed when he was selected to the MPSA All-Star football team that a legacy had begun. 
“It was exciting, and I was extremely honored – especially when I began the All-Star week with all those guys and realized I was playing with the best of the best in Mississippi – guys from other schools who I thought highly of all through high school. It was a fun experience,” he explained.  

Jay said his drive for football came from a combination of two things: motivation from the encouragement of great coaches and a need for an emotional outlet most teenagers have. 

“Of course, I knew I would love for my boys to be able to have the same experience, I just expected them to do their best, make corrections when they did not, and then move on to the next game giving it their all,” he said. 

Jay and his wife Jenny were married in 1999 and moved back to Canton when they found out they were having their second child within a year. 

Jenny said, “When Barnes was born, and we found out shortly after that we were having Samuel, I just really wanted a small hometown experience for my children. I wanted them to have the experience Jay had growing up in Canton and the opportunities that Canton Academy offered him.” 

The Wadford brothers started playing flag football in the first grade with the Upward Sports organization, and the rest is history.

There were a few physical and mental setbacks. 

“Barnes broke his arm playing football on the playground in the third grade. He was a little skittish for a while after that. It took time, but he overcame that. So then when he broke his collarbone riding dirtbikes right before his eighth-grade season, I thought his fears may stop him again,” Jay shared. 
Instead, as soon as Barnes was allowed to practice again, his coaches couldn’t believe his ferocity. That emotional outlet Jay mentioned was just what Barnes needed after being stuck on the sidelines. 

Barnes, now a college freshman, remembers, “My coaches and my brother came and got me out of class during my senior year. They told me that I had been chosen for the MAIS All-Star team. I felt grateful and proud at the same time. My coaches had always praised me for my speed and determination, but I wasn’t expecting the All-Star selection. It was a fun experience, and I mostly was happy because I look up to my dad and felt proud to achieve something he had achieved.”

Meanwhile, younger brother Samuel never had a major injury that kept him from playing, but he did use football as an outlet for any frustrations like his dad and brother. One of his elementary coaches named him “The Bull” when he played on the CA pee wee football team. In fact, his parents said he would come straight out of football season and foul out in the first basketball games because he wanted to mow everyone down to get the ball. The nickname “The Bull” stuck. 

This year as a senior, Samuel was also selected to the all star team. The Wadford men now share a rare experience as three players from the same immediate family to qualify as All-Star team members.

CA Head Football Coach Gage Posey said, “The Wadford family has been a blessing to me since I came to Canton. They have always gone above and beyond for anything we needed. The Wadford boys are everything that we preach our athletes to be. I consider it a privilege to have coached both Barnes and Samuel.”

Coach Ryan Laster, CA Head of School and Defensive Coordinator for the Panthers shared, “In my sixteen years as a football coach, I haven’t heard of a family with the father and sons all making the All-Star team. The Wadford family bleeds black and gold on the field and in the community. I was fortunate to have coached Barnes and Samuel on the defensive side of the ball, and they both were true leaders on the field and off. We missed Barnes on defense this year, and we will miss the Bull next season.”