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 PEMBROKE — Jo Jo Blanks became enraged as he stood on the sideline at Alton G. Brooks Stadium earlier this month. All he could do was grit his teeth and glare as Lumberton High’s trio of running backs racked up more than 300 yards against his teammates from Purnell Swett. Helpless, Blanks got a crazy idea to slip off his orthopedic boot and run onto the field. Blanks loves football, but not enough to risk any long term damage to his healing broken ankle. So all Blanks could do was glare as Swett’s rivals handed them their fourth loss on the season. "You just don’t know how much that killed me," Blanks said. "That really hurt me. It hurts to be on the sideline knowing I could be out there helping my team." The four losses worry him because he feels he could have made a difference. "I realize that one person doesn’t make the team but maybe if I would have been in the game it might’ve been a different story," he said. Blanks is 17 and lives with his grandfather, Leroy Blanks, on Hiawatha Road in Pembroke. His grandmother, Maxine, passed away when Jo Jo was eight. His parents are Donna and Dale Blanks. Pacing the sideline was not how the hard-hitting middle linebacker dreamed his senior season to play out. The 6 foot 2, 225-pound Pembroke native has shined early and often as a standout on the Rams defensive line. As a sophomore (when the local media called him by his real name, Joseph) Blanks led the team with 140 tackles and was nominated for the All-State team. Blanks was also a first-team All-Robeson County and had four sacks and three fumble recoveries. He outdid himself his junior year by racking up a team high 180 tackles on his way to earning Two Rivers 4-A Conference and Robeson County Defensive Player of the Year honors. Blanks was on his way to another breakout season this year. He had 30 tackles in two games and caught his first-ever interception in the third game against Hoke County on Sept. 5. Blanks’ season came to abrupt halt midway through the first quarter. The Bucks’ quarterback Greg Bryant took the snap and ran the ball in Blanks’ direction. "He had got past me and I dove for him and one of my teammates (Jock Clark) dove, too and landed on my ankle," Blanks said. Clark’s 6-foot-2-inch, 245-pound frame landed and twisted Blanks leg and fractured his left ankle. "Right when it happened I knew it was broke," he said. "It hurts because this off season was the hardest I’ve ever worked. I was wanting to go to the Shrine Bowl." Still there are no hard feelings between Clark and Blanks. "That’s football," Blanks said. "He apologized. That’s the risk you take. I can’t say nothing to him. That could’ve been me falling on his ankle." It’s been six weeks since Blanks got hurt. The cast and boot are off. The crutches are gone. He walks with a slight limp and still wears an ankle brace. He underwent rehab with the help of Dr. Richard Alexander at Scotland Orthopedics in Laurinburg. The question on everyone’s mind is when Blanks will be ready to strap on his helmets and pads. "I am going to try to play Friday (against Terry Sanford)," he said. "I would love to play since it is our homecoming game. I am trying to back in shape. I have been working out my arms and chest since it happened but I need to get legs back 100 percent." Blanks does not want to make the mistake by coming back too early. He doesn’t want to do anything to risk his chances of playing college ball. He received eight letters from East Carolina University and spoke with recruits from Appalachian State University and UNC Pembroke. Recruiters from Wake Forest attended the Scotland game. "I would love to go to N.C. State, UNC or ECU but I know my grades aren’t that good," he said. "My plan is to go to a junior college for one year then transfer to a bigger school." He would love to continue playing the game he has grown to love since he was a kid. Blanks loves to compete and has an instinctual nose for the ball. But more than that he loves to hit people. "I love contact," he said flashing a smile. "I love stopping the other team’s offense. I love stopping their No. 1 running back or sacking their No. 1 quarterback. I like competition. If there isn’t any competition, it ain’t really fun … the big game, that’s what I live for." Blanks has his sights set on the playoffs. But until he his fully healthy all he can do is pump up his teammates, grit his teeth and glare from the sideline. Staff writer Mark Locklear may be reached at
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