Photo by Erin Nelson.
Vestavia Hills defensive back Joseph Sullivan (7) moves in to stop Hewitt-Trussville wide receiver Omari Kelly (3) on the run during the second half of a game between Hewitt-Trussville and Vestavia Hills on Oct. 8, on Buddy Anderson Field at Thompson Reynolds Stadium in Vestavia Hills. The Huskies defeated the Rebels 42-35.
Joseph Sullivan sees himself as a playmaker. He backed up that assertion during his first career start.
In the Vestavia Hills High School football team’s first game of the 2020 season, Sullivan came down from his free safety position and intercepted a pass. The pick stemmed Hoover’s early momentum and set the Rebels up with great field position. They capitalized on that to cut Hoover’s lead to three points in the first half.
In an eventful year and season for everyone, it’s been particularly hectic for Vestavia Hills. In the summer, head coach Buddy Anderson announced that this fall would be his last season in charge of the Rebels. Then, in August, the Rebels were forced to forfeit their first two scheduled games due to COVID-19 concerns.
The Rebels’ first game of the year was against longtime rival Hoover, one of the top teams in the state and one that already had two games under its belt.
No matter. Sullivan took it all in stride and, despite being a first-year starter, maintained his poise and provided leadership for the entire defense. After backing up Will Brooks, who is now at Tennessee, the last few years, Sullivan knew this was his year to make a difference.
“It’s fun to see guys when they know they’re going to be the man, how they take that role on,” Vestavia Hills safeties coach Todd Evans said. “He’s been great.”
Evans said Sullivan is intelligent, fast and has great leadership skills. Even though he has a quiet demeanor, when he speaks, his words carry weight.
“Without him, we don’t even have a chance,” Evans said. “Athletic ability is one thing, but he’s such a good leader.”
Vestavia’s jerseys do not have name plates on them, but if they did, Sullivan’s would look familiar to football fans across the state. He is the grandson of the late Pat Sullivan, the former Auburn quarterback who won the 1971 Heisman Trophy. Joseph dons the same No. 7 jersey that has long been retired at Auburn.
“In summer workouts, I would just think about it and the first time I’d get to put it on,” Sullivan said. “This is the first year I’ve ever worn it. That’s what I carry into each game, the aggressiveness and confidence that he played with.”
Sullivan grew up in Mississippi, so he only saw his grandfather sporadically before moving to Vestavia Hills a couple years ago. Pat Sullivan died in December 2019, but Joseph fondly remembers the time he was able to spend with him last fall.
“Thursday after football practice, I’d go visit with him a couple hours,” he said. “It was very special to have someone like him in my life because it was so much more than football. We hardly ever talked about it.”
Sullivan said it also means a lot being able to start on Anderson’s final team at Vestavia Hills. The lessons learned while playing for the state’s all-time winningest coach are innumerable and will prepare him for the next stage in his life.
In addition to his exploits on the football field, Sullivan is a standout baseball player for the Rebels who has committed to play center field at the University of South Alabama.
“I’ll definitely miss it,” Sullivan said of his football days, “with my family being a football family and it being a huge part of my life.”
