There was a time where Detroit Loyola High School (MI) defensive standout Josh Nichols wanted nothing to do with football.
It was so bad, he had to be bribed by his father.
"So, there’s actually a funny story on how I got into football. At a young age of 7 or 8, my older brother played football, and I wasn’t interested, but I loved to go to the football field to run around. My dad asked me one day, “hey, what do I have to do to make you play football”, and I told him I want a PS3. He told me that if I played a whole season he would get me the PS3, so we agreed and I played that year and fell in love with the game. But funny thing is, is that I never got a PS3," Nichols told Heartland Sports Report.
Fortunately for Nichols, the love has remained as the ballhawk is set to continue the family tradition of attending the University of Michigan after accepting a PWO from the Wolverines over scholarship offers from the likes of: Purdue, Air Force, Navy, Valparaiso and Morgan State. In doing so, Nichols follows in the footsteps of his mother, who graduated from Michigan, and his brother, Jerome, who is a linebacker for the Wolverines.
"Michigan has always been one of my dream schools. Even though I had many other full scholarship opportunities, to other Big Ten programs and Power 5’s, they weren’t Michigan. Plus I feel like I can ball with anybody, so why not go to Michigan and test my luck. My mother went to Michigan, so growing up it’s always been GO BLUE. Ever since I was a baby all I knew was Michigan , and now it’s feels great knowing that I will be wearing maize and blue on my chest with my name on the back," Nichols told HSR.
Nichols closed out his 2021 campaign for Loyola strong, as he rushed for 302 yards and four touchdowns on only 28 touches and amassed 82 tackles, five sacks, an interception and 11 forced fumbles on defense.
"Looking back at my high school career, what stands out to me is the impact that I left on my teammates, and how I grinded and got it out the mud. This made them realize that they can do the same thing that I did with enough hard work and dedication. Also, if in the highlight sense, I’d say that my favorite highlights are either me flipping clean over my old teammate from little league into the end zone for a touchdown, or knocking off 3 helmets in a game and breaking a jaw," Nichols said.
The Loyola standout credits his brother and the lessons his brother instilled in him as the driving forces behind his success.
"I’m not surprised with my success. I wish I recorded my entire high school journey, as I started at 5-feet-5-inches and 120 pounds and now I am 6-foot and 180. I have my older brother, my dad, and my coaches to thank for this. My brother is two years older than me and is also playing at Michigan right now, and his senior year was my sophomore year, and we’d get to school at 6 a.m. to workout until class at 8 a.m. Whether if it’s on the track or in the weight room, we would work and then have school from 8-3, and then track practice and study table from from 3:30-6 p.m., and then go workout with a trainer from 6:40-9 p.m. and then drive 30 minutes home. Him instilling this get it by any means necessary attitude carried onto me, and helped me reach where I am today," Nichols said.
That mindset showed itself when college coaches would turn on film and see what Nichols could do.
"Recruiting was great for me. Covid kind of stunted recruiting for me, but I don’t like using Covid as an excuse. Coaches told me that they love how fast I am on the field, my reaction time, how versatile of a player I am, and how I was a defensive back who wasn’t afraid to come down and lay a hit on anybody," he said.
Nichols continued by adding that he has drawn some top comparisons from college coaches, who see him in a Daxton Hill or Jabrill Peppers role.
"At the next level, I was told that I could satisfy the Daxton Hill or Jabrill Peppers role, where, since I’m so versatile, I can go to strong safety, I can check the slots, I can play corner, I can play Rover and I can come off the edge quick in blitzing packages," he continued.
And, now with the opportunity before him at Michigan, Nichols says he is ready to continue making a name for himself and leaving his mark, both on a program and opposing offenses.
"Going everywhere I feel like I’ll have something to prove. I’m a 6-foot defensive back out of Detroit, I’ll always be looked at as if I’m not capable, and that’s what drives me," Nichols said.
Furthermore, he still has a PS3 to collect.
