HAMPTON — The rain had stopped, the lightning cleared and Hampton University’s football team was in danger of falling to 0-2. Tied with Elizabeth City State and sitting at midfield, Ja’Quan Snipes saw a crease, burst through, and didn’t stop until he was 47 yards downfield in the end zone.
It was the biggest play of his career: the winning touchdown in a 27-20 comeback. But for Snipes, it was also the peak of a journey shaped by setbacks and second chances.
Hampton rallies past Elizabeth City State, survives Vikings’ late drive
He had waited years for a moment like this — years when he nearly walked away from football entirely.
By his senior year of high school in Asheboro, North Carolina, Snipes had drawn interest from ACC programs like North Carolina and NC State. Then, just before the season, he broke a bone in his arm at a James Madison University summer camp. Surgeons inserted a rod, and he returned that fall determined to prove himself.
But the momentum didn’t last. He suffered an injury to the same arm again — this time a hairline fracture. Campbell U had offered and earned his commitment, but pulled the scholarship after the second injury. In months, his dream of playing college football unraveled.
Two surgeries, two metal plates and 22 screws later, Snipes’ future felt fragile. For the first time, he wondered if football had slipped away for good.
“I was really in a dark spot,” Snipes said. “I even thought about joining the military. At that point, I felt like I had no chance, like I’d lost the game I love.”
Enter former Hampton U head coach Robert Prunty.
He showed up at Randleman High, as Snipes was circling the track with a cast, trying to keep in shape. Prunty watched, then offered him on the spot.
“I’m forever blessed for that moment, because I feel like it saved my life,” Snipes said. “Saved a lot of stress that I had going on.”
He signed with Hampton, but the climb was steep. The Pirates’ backfield was crowded, and he saw the field just 14 times across three years. The scars were a constant reminder, and so was the doubt. He admitted he felt he wasn’t the same player, that the joy of the game that once fueled him had slipped away.
But what kept him going was his “why.”
Hampton Pirates running back Ja’Quan Snipes (8) celebrates with wide receiver Maxwell Moss (0) after scoring the game winning touchdown during the fourth quarter against the ECSU Vikings at Armstrong Stadium in Hampton, Va., on Sept 6, 2025. (Peter Casey / For The Virginian-Pilot)
After his freshman year, Snipes went home to Asheboro unsure if he’d return. Seeing his younger siblings changed his mind. He didn’t want them to watch him quit. That became his anchor through the setbacks.
So, Snipes went back to Hampton, hunkered down and worked on getting his body back right while waiting his turn in the backfield.
“I’m glad that I’m the blueprint for them to see that whatever goes wrong with your story, there’s no stopping it,” Snipes said. “It’s all up to you. It’s not rocket science — it’s just going through the hard things. Success will be at the end of the road, and I’m the proof in the pudding for it.”
That patience finally paid off last season. When injuries thinned Hampton’s backfield, Snipes stepped in and led the team with 595 rushing yards, averaging 6.3 per carry with six touchdowns. It was proof he belonged, and it set the stage for 2025 with Snipes as the feature back.
Prunty left before last season, and was replaced by HU assistant Trent Boykin.
On Saturday against ECSU, Snipes reminded everyone how far he’d come. After a weather delay and a 10-point halftime deficit, Hampton rallied behind Snipes, who carried for a career-high 174 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winner.
Hampton’s comeback win mirrored Snipes’ own path — both defined by resilience when the outcome looked bleak.
“Adversity will always be here,” Snipes said. “The great teams know to stay locked in fully, even if down by 20 at halftime, even 30 at halftime.”
For Snipes, the scoreboard was his career. Saturday’s game-winning run wasn’t just the difference in one game. It was the culmination of years of perseverance, patience and belief.
Proof that setbacks don’t have to define the finish line.
