Harrison Hamm, Staff Writer—
The yards and sidewalks of the Stines family’s Cincinnati neighborhood must have been a sight to see. Young Jimmy, alongside his brother Tommy, were the “commissioners” of an elaborate multi-sport league among dozens of similar-aged neighborhood kids.
“Every single day after school, we would get off the bus, eat a peanut butter and jelly, and play tackle football in my side yard,” Jimmy said. “We had schedules, team names, and uniforms.”
Now, as a senior in college, he takes over as Denison’s starting quarterback — the culmination of his football career.
He never wavered from the QB spot since he took over in fifth grade, two years after he first strapped on the pads. The position is demanding; everything on offense runs through it. It is the most singularly important position in sports. But to hear Stines tell it, he is merely a cog in the system.
“I think it’s the ultimate team game,” he said. “If one person on the field out of the 11 doesn’t do their job, the whole play cannot work.”
This is not basketball, he said, where one player can dominate and score 40 points. A quarterback relies on his teammates to execute their specific roles, or else disaster will strike.
Stines is confident that this veteran Denison team, which returns all five starting offensive linemen and most of its top skill players, is the perfect environment for a QB entering his first year as a starter.
He has waited for three seasons behind longtime starter Drew Dawkins, who played for five years and started 34 games. Stines is a senior who, at the moment, is leaning against picking up his extra fifth year of eligibility that the NCAA gave all athletes as a result of the 2020 COVID-19 season. He has a job at J.P. Morgan lined up for when he graduates.
The idea that Dawkins blocked his path to a starting job does not appear to faze Stines. He is appreciative of Dawkins’s leadership over the years, and says simply, “It all pays off if you wait and be patient.”
Plus, he’s realistic about football’s place in his life. He didn’t come to Denison as an NFL pathway; he came because he wanted to attend a “high academic institution” that was close to home and set him up to succeed after college. He’s always been interested in business, he said.
For now, he will try to make the most of his chance to start. Stines, while not the same rushing threat that Dawkins was, has the scrambling ability to keep defenses honest — in the Week 1 win over Capital, he had a scramble of 30 yards.
He says that Denison can combine a steady ground game, led by star running back Trey Fabrocini ‘24, with an explosive passing game.
“[Fabrocini] is one of the best running backs in the conference and one of the best in the country … with Trey and our running backs, we’re going to make you respect our running game,” he said.
Their wide receiver group, led by junior Billy Guzzo ‘25, is full of speedsters who force defenses to honor the deep ball. The Big Red produced three touchdowns of 75 or more yards against Capital, two of which came from Guzzo.
“My receivers are so fast,” he said. “I think Billy is the fastest player in the conference. Having that kind of speed helps take the top off the defense.”
The offense showed flashes of their deep threat potential in Saturday’s loss to Linfield, who entered the game ranked seventh in the country. Fifth-year receiver Josh Aiello had a 41-yard catch-and-run touchdown in the first quarter, and Guzzo later made a highlight-reel 45-yard diving catch. Stines, facing a heavy pass rush, threw for 259 yards.
Maximizing a team’s talent requires the quarterback to be on top of everything. Football is a complex game, and wins and losses can come down to exploiting small weaknesses. Stines embraces the preparation and the mental aspect of the game.
“I love the preparation and strategy,” he said. “In other sports, you don’t spend the whole week preparing for one opponent.”
As the starter, there’s more work now, extra meetings with the coaches, and independent studying. Stines has to not only memorize the playbook, but also fully understand the plays, knowing what all of his teammates are supposed to be doing every time. Plus, every defense brings its own challenges.
When a third down and eight comes up, for example, Stines has to remember the defense’s tendencies on that particular play that coaches highlighted in film sessions.
The job requires a strong commitment to the game. This is Division III sports, after all; for the most part, athletes are not preparing for the next level. Stines happily acknowledges this. He values the time management skills and camaraderie of college athletics and knows already that he’ll miss it when it’s gone.
“I’m already dreading it,” he said while laughing when asked about what life will be like when organized sports are over. He mentions pickup basketball and pickleball as future hobbies.
This season is a chance to leave his mark at Denison. His mom and dad, who have long been dedicated sports parents, will be there for all of it. Donna and James Stines have been known to traverse the Midwest for their kids’ college and high school games over the years.
Jimmy, for his part, hasn’t lost the joy of childhood backyard football. He spent time back then making sure the neighborhood league was as official as possible. Now, with this week’s game a conference matchup at Oberlin, he is deep into tendencies and playcalls.
“You do it for the love of the game,” he said.