‘A true brother’s keeper’: Jairus and Jaavan Mack reunite with Charlotte 49ers football
Once Jairus Mack started playing for the Charlotte 49ers, Jaavan Mack was making regular trips to the Queen City.
Being in the stands at Jerry Richardson Stadium, the twin brother of the Niners’ standout wide receiver was impressed with the atmosphere that the school had potential to provide. Jaavan had played well at Erskine College and kept in contact with his brother about Charlotte football, asking about details like its nutrition and weight lifting program. He really wanted to be there.
The pandemic had slowed recruitment during his senior year at Clarke Central High in Athens, Georgia, and Jaavan wasn’t able to visit many schools. He played as a true freshman at Erskine, the Division 2 school in Due West, S.C., and Georgia Military College, and felt confident he could suit up at a higher level.
This season Jaavan Mack, a junior defensive back, will wear jersey No. 45 for the Niners and play alongside his twin brother again. Their parents, who created and operate a youth sports academy in Georgia, are excited about not having to split up and attend separate football games every Saturday.
“(Jairus) is a true brother’s keeper,” Jaavan Mack said. “He really helped me get here. He was one of the first ones to advocate for me to get here, and I really appreciate him for that. I just thank him that I’m here — and I’m working to get out there on that field with him.”
The Mack parents founded a youth sports academy
Lisa Mack, the mother of Jairus and Jaavan, played basketball and ran track. Their father, Jeffery, played basketball, football, track and soccer.
The parents created the Athens Youth Academy Trojans in 2008 after their oldest son, Jeffery, didn’t have anywhere to play football. It began fielding youth teams in various sports, starting with football, basketball, track and cheerleading.
Players have come through their program and reached the next level, including Rico Arnold, a former Charlotte 49ers’ receiver who just played his fifth year at Georgia State.
The academy always had teams representing different age groups of midgets, pee wee, junior and senior. Each team played at a different time, and the “big game” slated for Saturday morning would usually bring everyone out.
“My mom wanted to play football,” Jairus said. “My grandma wouldn’t let her. Football’s been part of my life, and sports have been part of my life because I played football, basketball and track. I played soccer when I was little. I wanted to play baseball, never got into it, but sports have been my life.
“My mom, she was the definition of a tomboy. She didn’t like girly girl stuff. She did everything the boys would do — she wanted to play football because she was, like, ‘bro.’ She liked to do all type of things like that.”
Early hopes in basketball brought Jairus Mack to Charlotte
Jairus ended up playing football, but he initially had aspirations on the hardwood.
He’s always loved the sport, and his mother always joked she “needs one of y’all to just play basketball.”
A lifelong Duke fan and four-year Clarke Central High basketball player, Jarius considered it his dream school to attend — until a breakout junior year ensured he’d be sticking to football.
When Jarius was in seventh grade, he remembers traveling to Charlotte for a basketball tournament. He said he fell in love with the city — already knowing a handful of athletes and coaches who’d moved to join the Niners — and was struck by the beauty of the school’s campus.
The city, university and its athletic programs were on the radar of Jairus. He kept playing basketball, as did Jaavan, but their best hopes were on the football field.
“My mom loves basketball. She wanted us to play, but you gotta be much taller to play basketball,” said Jaavan, a 6-foot, 180-pound defensive back. “We chose the football route.”
The athletic Mack family
Jaavan’s first sport was soccer, which he picked up at the age of 4.
A year later marked his start on the gridiron, and he also played basketball from a young age. The difference between Jaavan and his football-loving brothers? He’s the only defensive back. He was always the biggest and liked to think he was the most aggressive.
Jeffery Mack, their older brother, is now 26 and playing Arena League Football following a successful career at Fort Valley State. Their 23-year-old sister, Jessica, became a cheerleader and got involved with dance. They also have a little sister, Bridget, who’s just 13 and is starting to get into cheerleading.
The family has always supported each other, especially as the brothers have gone off to play college football. This upcoming Charlotte 49ers’ season will allow the family to reunite in the same place every Saturday, and they’re cherishing the twin brothers’ new opportunity.
“When I was at my other schools, they’d all have to switch — that one person went to this game, and the next person went to that game,” Jaavan said. “It’s like a three-hour drive, it’s not bad. They can all come together and go to one game instead of splitting up and having to choose. That’s the best part.”
