NEWTON, N.C. — Intensity and aggression is the name of the game if one chooses to play on the defensive side of the ball in football.
It isn’t for the faint of heart, and one has to be willing to go all out on a consistent basis. Simply put, some have it and some don’t.
Newton-Conover High senior Xavion Coulter has demonstrated that he has the hard-hitting, all-out-war mentality each time he steps onto the field at the inside linebacker position. He has proven so on more than one occasion with the Red Devils’ varsity football team.
Although his teams have not always had the best of seasons, there’s no doubt that Coulter puts 100 percent of his effort into his craft to lead the Red Devils on the defensive side of the ball.
During the COVID-19 reduced schedule in Spring 2021, Coulter competed in six regular-season contests and came away with 77 total tackles (45 solo and 32 assisted). He earned 12.6 tackles per game including 12 tackles for a loss (which led the now defunct South Fork 2A Conference), one sack and one pass deflection.
On March 12, 2021, he garnered a career-high 20 total tackles in the road loss against West Lincoln, 27-19. The Red Devils finished the season 2-4 overall and missed the playoffs.
Nevertheless, this feat was nothing short of amazing, and his play would help him become a 2A All-State first team selection for the first time in his career. He led the Red Devils in all defensive categories for the second consecutive year after posting 111 total tackles (70 solo and 41 assisted), 7.5 tackles per game, five tackles for a loss, four pass deflections and one forced fumble during the 2019 season.
Coulter has been named to the All-Conference team twice, the All-Catawba County Defensive Player of the Year Honorable Mention in 2020-21, Queen City Preps All-QC Honorable Mention, as well as a two-time All-State selection (the aforementioned first-team selection in 2020-21 and second team in 2019).
Having begun his career as a Red Devil on junior varsity his freshman season in 2018, Coulter was awarded the opportunity to move up to varsity that season due to the ‘eight quarter rule’ and amassed 4 total tackles (three solo and one assisted).
Coulter said he has been playing football since he was about 5 or 6-years-old and that watching his older brother play made him want to pursue it even further.
The desire to be great is what keeps him focused on honing his craft on-and-off the field.
In addition to his strong play on the gridiron, Coulter has been a marksman in tackling the books. Given this, he has been a Scholar-Athlete honoree for two years (2019, 2020-21). He has also been a National Society of High School Scholars inductee, along with making the Dean’s List in his college courses at Catawba Valley Community College for the Fall of 2020 and Spring of 2021.
“I’ve always been a student first, athlete second type of individual,” he said. “My parents set the tone with that since I was little so I live by that now. It’s hard balancing both but learning time-management is the best thing that I could’ve done. You gotta prioritize the important stuff first then worry about other things.
“Perseverance (is key), everything is not going to go your way, but you have to learn how to overcome that and persevere through. You don’t get a good grade in a class, study harder. You don’t start on a team, work harder.”
Furthermore, he has always envisioned himself as a leader, having been a defensive team captain since his sophomore season in 2019, but now that leadership role means even more coming into his final run with the program.
He said that playing the middle linebacker position has helped him become a better leader:
“For those who don’t know, the Inside or Middle Linebacker is like the “Quarterback” of the defense,” he said. “I make the calls, help teammates get in position, etc. I’m a natural born leader so I feel like playing this position just comes natural for me.”
As far as getting his teammates pumped up in practice, a game or even a scrimmage, Coulter has that energetic personality exuding a true competitive spirit.
“As we all know football is a very competitive sport and the most competitive sport if you ask me, so with every chance I get I try to bring the energy and excitement,” he said.
“It’s been a blessing (to be a captain) and they still push me to be a better leader day-by-day. But having this mantle since sophomore year has definitely made me become a better teammate in every aspect. On the field, I try to display what it’s like to be attentive to everything and resilient as well. Off the field, I just try to be myself in front of the young guys. Making them laugh, having fun with them, just showing both sides of me so they know and we can build relationships.”
With his final campaign beginning on Aug. 20, on the road against Polk County, Coulter will surely look to turn even more heads. He has yet to receive a collegiate offer, and he still has something to prove.
He said that he is a proud ‘late bloomer’ or ‘hidden gem’ and that his individual goals for the upcoming season are to get some college offers, win Catawba Valley 2A Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year and achieve All-State once again. Most importantly, he said that his two biggest goals are to win the conference and make the playoffs.
