HARVEST- Athletics at Sparkman High in Harvest will have a new student-athlete this upcoming school year who has the confidence he can make a different in the three sports he participates in. Rising senior Amaree Jabbar made the transfer to the Class 7A school from Huntsville High where he has been attending the past three years, as well, as attending Huntsville Middle School prior to advancing to the high school grades.

The 5-foot-10, 165-pound Jabbar plays football, basketball and baseball and is determined to provide additional talent to each of the programs as he makes his way from the city to the county for his senior year of high school.

“I plan on winning and helping my teams be winners,” said Jabbar, 17. “I know I can do this. I plan on being most focused in being the best I can be and I plan on winning.”

In football, Jabbar was a Class 7A Region 4 All-Region Second Team selection at wide receiver in 2022 after hauling in 47 catches for 507 yards and six touchdowns for the Crimson Panthers in their 6-5 season including a first-round loss in the state playoffs. The speedster who’s been clocked at 4.54 in the 40-yard sprint had 8.9 yards per catch. He was a two-year starter for Huntsville and came up through their program while attending Huntsville Middle School. Prior to that, he played in numerous youth recreation leagues at both Huntsville and Madison Academy. “I began playing football at age five with my dad in the backyard,” added Jabbar.

His baseball talents include playing infield, outfield and pitcher. In his junior season at Huntsville he batted .335 with a .401 on-base-average as it was his first season as a starter for the Panthers. He began playing some type of baseball at age three while in the T-Ball division.

The basketball skills he brings to the Senators is one of some mystery as Jabbar chose to sit out his junior year from the Panthers’ program, but he was an outstanding guard on the school’s freshman and junior varsity teams in his freshman and sophomore years where he averaged 12-points per game. “I began playing at age six and played recreational leagues before playing at both Huntsville Middle and Huntsville High,” said Jabbar. “I do plan on trying out for the team at Sparkman and feel I can play.”

The well-rounded teenager carries a 3.0 grade point average and looks to study business in college. He’s multi-talented in the arts as he’s a singer, rapper, plays both the banjo and drums, and loves art in the area of drawings. He has two younger siblings, a brother, 8, and a sister, 10, and are the children of Ameen and Ne’Keshia Jabbar. The family moved to nearby Monrovia from their long-time residence in Huntsville.

Jabbar has been an athlete his entire 17 years and his parents feel even before he was born he was destined to be extremely active in athletics. While in his mother’s womb, the proud-to-be parents opted to find out the sex of their first child and had an ultrasound conducted, and to their amazement the ultrasound image showed the yet-born Jabbar literally jogging in the womb. It appeared as though he was running on a treadmill. The ultrasound technician indicated they had ever before seen an image like the one their eyes were witnessing.

After birth, Jabbar was an astonishing youngster rolling over by himself at two weeks of age, walking at seven months, swatting a baseball off a tee by 10 months of age and by age one, he was throwing a baseball as though he was much older. To his parents, his future was on target.

College athletic programs have been knocking on his door as he’s received some inquiries including from Auburn, Alabama A&M, Alabama State, Mississippi State, Kentucky Wesleyan, Carson-Newman, West Georgia, Appalachian State and Southeastern Louisiana. All have been impressed with his talents on the football field.

“I believe one area where I may stand out among others is my work ethic,” said Jabbar. “I always go to the gym or on the field in an attempt to better myself for my future. I’m friendly to everyone and get along with all my teammates.”

Jabbar is on stranger to some of the athletes at his new school as fellow senior Jalyn Chambers, a safety for the Senators, also transferred to Sparkman from Huntsville a year ago. The two transfers have known one another for years and workout together whenever possible. As for Jabbar, when he’s not connected to athletics he’s been a volunteer for many organizations including the Miracle League, Salvation Army and Manna House, and works occasionally for his church, the First Missionary Baptist Church of Huntsville, tending to a variety of duties around the place of worship.

“Playing three sports. I love it as it gives me something to do all year long as I’m not bored,” said Jabbar. “All of those activities take a toll on my body, but I’m ok with the efforts as I feel I’m a much better athlete because of staying active.”

Practices for the 2023 football season officially begin the first week in August, and you can be sure Jabbar will be prepared as his goal is a simple one, as Jabbar said, “I want to be the best football player on the planet and take care of my family and friends.”