A ‘high motor’ drives GP’s Jordan
Notre Dame-Green Pond coach Phil Stambaugh said senior William Jordan is a quiet, reserved young man.
Stambaugh added, however, that something changes when Jordan gets on a football field.
“He’s intense and attacking,” the Crusaders coach said. “He’s relentless in pursuit of the ball.”
Jordan had 58 tackles in eight games this season, including 15 for loss. His 5.5 sacks and three fumble recoveries were among the most in the Colonial League.
The defensive end’s big-play production was instrumental in Notre Dame-GP posting an unbeaten regular-season record and reaching the District 11 Class 3A championship game.
For that, Jordan is The Morning Call’s Colonial League defensive player of the year.
“He was a captain for us,” Stambaugh said, “a vocal leader. Heplayed by example, led by example. When you watched any film of us, it was evident he was giving everything he had on every play from beginning to end.”
Jordan was an undersized outside linebacker/defensive end as a freshman, but he worked in the offseason to grow into formidable force for the Crusaders.
After registering 15 tackles in 15 games in his first two seasons, the 5-foot-11, 185-pounder had a breakout junior year with 57 tackles, including 13 for loss and 4.5 sacks, in 10 games. He added four forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries to earn the team’s 2019 defensive player of the year award.
Jordan added four forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries to his 2020 resume to lead the Crusaders through an abbreviated Colonial League regular season that included a shutout victory at eventual District 11 Class 2A champion Palisades.
“He’s got a high motor,” Stambaugh said. “He has really transformed his body since his freshman year. It’s the usual, bigger, stronger, faster. But he really pushed himself in the offseason.
“It showed in his play. He was very difficult to block up front.”
The Juniata College commit also benefited from defensive coordinator Andre Jordan (no relation) implementing a new philosophy that fit the senior’s skill set.
The Crusaders shifted from a sit-andwait defense to one that looked to make the big plays and ease the high-powered offense’s burden.
Notre Dame-GPled the league with 25 takeaways and a plus-19 turnover ratio.
Jordan was part of a defense that produced 58 tackles for loss, including 11.5 sacks, plus nine interceptions and 16 fumble recoveries. In addition to his 5.5 sacks, he had 14 of the team’s 61 hurries.