Captain Shreve’s Greg Webb reflects on his career, future following loss to Rummel
Long before Friday night’s LHSAA Select Division I matchup between Captain Shreve and Archbishop Rummel, Gator senior Greg Webb had his long term future mapped out no matter what happened in the short term against the Raiders.
One of the best defenders on a solid Shreve defensive unit, the 6-foot, 230-pound Webb plans to major in nursing with a minor in real estate, an odd mix to say the least.
“I want to be a nurse practitioner but also sell houses and stuff on the side,” he said. “While I’m finishing my last two years of nursing, I can be selling houses or owning different properties and having a source of income coming in that way.”
Webb’s preparation may get off to a quicker start after Shreve’s season ended Friday night on the Independence Stadium turf with a 13-3 loss to Rummel. The Gators (9-2) saw their season come to a premature halt against the Raiders (6-6), who made successive weekend trips from Metairie to Shreveport to dispatch two Shreveport area teams (Northwood last weekend).
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After being unable to slow down the Raiders on their first two possessions of the game, Webb and the defense played shutout ball the rest of the way. But the Gators’ lack of a passing game enabled the visitors to control the Shreve offense and keep them out of the end zone.
After the final horn, Webb stood at the entrance to the Shreve locker room watching his teammates enter for the final time. The loss didn’t overshadow one of the best seasons in Shreve history as he led the Gators to a 7-0 District 1-5A championship and a No. 2 seed in the playoffs.
“We had a good team out there, but we just fell short,” Webb said. “I know these boys are about to get back working. They’ll come back stronger next year. I believe in them. I believe in this staff, and I believe in this program.”
It isn’t clear what the athletic future holds for Webb, a leader on and off the football field for coach Adam Kirby. He currently has a report card stacked with “A’s” while leading his team verbally.
“Greg is the total package in a high school football player. He is great in the classroom, in the weight room and on the field,” Kirby said. “He’s one of the best leaders I’ve ever coached and demands the best out of everyone around him.”
Despite his size, academics and leadership skills, Webb doesn’t yet have a football scholarship, but that doesn’t seem to bother him.
“Hopefully I get a scholarship, but if not, then I guess I have to hang it up,” Webb said. “I’m not just going to sign with a school to play ball even though I love the game. I still want the best education I can get for my career path.”
Webb considered giving up football during his sophomore season but stayed with it at the urging of his parents who told him he’d come too far to give up on the sport at that point.
“That just pushed me to be better and work harder because I didn’t want to let any of my family down, or anybody who was counting on me,” Webb said. “Also, I haven’t had a lot of family graduate high school or make it to college, so I wanted to be the first in the family to do both.”
No matter what happens next in his life, Webb will take the memory of finally defeating Byrd, after three fruitless tries, with him.
“The feeling of finally beating them, plus having the crowd going crazy, I loved it,” Webb said. “Then we got surprised with the super nice black uniforms (thanks to my man coach Kirby). Like that’s a game I’ll never forget.”
Jimmy Watson covers Louisiana sports for the USA TODAY Network. Email him at jwatson@shreveporttimes.com and follow him on Twitter @JimmyWatson6.
This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: Captain Shreve’s Webb reflects on his future following loss to Rummel
