78 Photo Essay: Spencer Rosenfeld

Quarterback, Jasper Vikings

Words by Terrell Manasco | Image by Al Blanton

August 29, 2020. The Jasper Vikings were gearing up for their second game of the season, a skirmish at Oliver Woodard Stadium against rival Cullman. The game was originally set for Friday night, but the threat of severe weather bumped it to Saturday afternoon. With Cullman leading 14-0 in the 2nd quarter, Jasper lost any momentum they had when quarterback Spencer Rosenfeld suffered an ankle injury. 

With Rosenfeld sidelined, the Vikings managed only 200 yards in the game. It was a long bus ride home that night after being walloped by their rival, 21-0. The quarterback wasn’t exactly dancing across the end zone either. 

“I tore all three ligaments,” Spencer says. “I had tightrope surgery and was out for six weeks.”

With his flowing blond locks and smattering of freckles dotting his cheeks, the 6’3” sophomore looks like he could have stepped out of a Norman Rockwell painting. But it wasn’t always a pretty picture last fall. Spencer recalls returning to practice after his recovery. “It was hard because it hurt to run move around like I used to,” he says. “I wore an ankle brace in practice and in the game. It affected how I played, and I was a lot slower.”

Anyone familiar with his skills would argue that Spencer arrived in this world clutching a pigskin, and eventually, he returned to form. On October 16, he completed 13 of 16 passes for 183 yards and ran for 111 yards on 15 carries with two touchdowns against Mortimer Jordan. Local sportswriters called his performance “pivotal,” as it helped the Vikings break a six-game losing streak and earned them a 36-21 victory. 

“To win a game only a few weeks out of surgery was amazing for me,” he says. 

Spencer was still at the peak of his game when Jasper hosted Bessemer City a few weeks later, throwing for 265 yards and five touchdowns in the first half and running for 51 yards on four carries. The Vikings ended the season by clubbing the Purple Tigers 49-14. The momentum was back. 

Raw talent on the gridiron is one thing, but talent alone doesn’t win ballgames. The respect between players and coaches also plays a role in the final numbers on the scoreboard—and Spencer is proof. “I love our coaches,” he says. “I’ve had a close relationship with Coach Bailey since I’ve been playing here.” 

After two more years of high school, Spencer will head off to college. He hopes to get a full ride to The University of Alabama and play for Nick Saban. “He’s won, like, 15 national championships,” he says. 

Perhaps Spencer will help win another one. That would be pivotal. 78 

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