CHAPEL HILL – Home for Jacolby Criswell is in Arkansas. Morrilton, AR, to be exact.
Located about 51 miles northwest from Little Rock, Morrilton is where Criswell played high school football for his father, who was the offensive coordinator. Zach Watson is now the head coach at Elkins High School in Arkansas.
Wilson and his wife became legal guardians to Criswell when he was in middle school. Watson is dad” and Criswell is “son.”
With Criswell moving into the Watson’s home and becoming a part of their family, it also meant he had new siblings; little sisters Adler and Palmer.
Criswell’s father has been known as a terrific teacher of quarterbacks, and his current Elkins team is unbeaten. Criswell speaks with him after every game, always getting a critique. He also speaks a lot with Adler, now 13, who is playing travel softball this fall. She also plays volleyball and basketball.
“I have a 13-year-old sister and she’s competitive in sports as well,” Criswell said Tuesday at the Kenan Football Center. “And those conversations are like, ‘Oh, we finally got everyone in the family is now a winner.’ It’s things like that because down there in my family, we’re all super competitive.
“And my dad, he hasn’t lost a single football game yet this season. My little sister, she loses but I kind of give her the benefit of the doubt sometimes.”
Criswell often gets a call from Adler, especially after losses. She may rib him some but is also quite supportive and encouraging.
“She’s the same way as my dad to where if I end up losing she’ll call me and she’s like, ‘Hey, I watched the game,’ and she’ll just say it so suddenly. And I just sit there and she was like, ‘you’ll get them next time’ and I wouldn’t say a single word. She doesn’t like when I lose and I love that about her.”
Adler can be a bit sneaky when Criswell calls his mom. Adler gets to the phone first and they chat.
“When I call my mom, my little sister always picks up for some reason,” Criswell said, smiling. “And I go, ‘Where’s mom at?’ ‘Uh, she’s just busy’ because she wants to talk to me about football because she loves football. She wants to play football, but my dad won’t let her.
“She’s probably about 4-7, 13-year-old, kind of short. But she just loves the sport and so she always gives me a hard time.”
Criswell’s parents will be at UNC’s game Saturday against Wake Forest, but his sisters won’t be there. They haven been to games in Chapel Hill, though, and loved it, especially Adler.
“She has (and) she loves it here,” Criswell said. “She was kind of upset when I first left but as soon as I came back, she was probably the most excited.”
In addition to speaking about his family during a Q&A session with the media at the Kenan Football Center, Criswell also discussed multiple other topics.
Below is video from his interview along with some notes from what he had to say:
*Criswell discussed the Tar Heels playing their first home game in five weeks and about how the vibe around the Kenan Football Center has changed so dramatically since then.
*He talked about the benefits of the second bye week in a month last week, what he worked on, and how his body feels.
*Criswell mentioned his weight in an earlier response, so he was asked about his current weight. He didn’t give a number but said he’s no longer trying to lose during the season but has more weight to drop and will do it in the offseason. The reasoning for waiting is because he is playing well exactly as he is and doesn’t want to throw anything off.
*In addition, Criswell discussed the improvement of the offensive line, its health, and that he has had more time recently in the pocket; what critiques his dad provided after the win at Florida State; and about Wake Forest’s defense.
