Jake Russell '23 Recruiting Profile

From a very early age, I knew I wanted to play football. I was always a big kid, but I wasn't necessarily the fastest or strongest on my team in the beginning. However, the one thing I did have over other players was a desire to do whatever it takes to become better. More than anything, I wanted to be able to make a difference for my team by helping to create the play. Every year, I worked out over the spring and summer before football season started to become faster and build strength so that I could fire off the line with power.  I focused on my hand coordination, strength and placement. In several camps and workshops, my hand strength and placement has been noted and has become a key weapon in my arsenal.  I've also demonstrated versatility over this past year by playing different positions on the line. This has increased options for my team and helped my teammates to develop their skills in different areas as well.  

Now in my senior year, as a captain of my team, I understand the importance of developing yourself both physically and mentally off the field as well as on the field. I try to challenge my teammates to do more and go the extra mile, but I never ask anyone to do anything I wouldn't do myself. I push myself by getting up at 5am and working out for 2 hours before school starts. My workouts include both weight training as well as speed and agility training. Then I head to school where I have a full schedule including 3 advanced placement classes. After school it's straight to practice before hitting the books again to study for the next day. My goal is to play football for a school that will help me to build the skill set and develop a career in engineering. I ultimately want to design and build mechanical and power generating devices to solve manufacturing problems. My leadership in, as well as my dedication and focus to, school and football makes me an excellent candidate for your football program.