“The only thing that is guaranteed in college is that your career will NOT go exactly as you imagined.”
A year ago, the legendary coach, Chris Petersen shared that line with the best high school quarterbacks in the nation at the Elite 11 Finals in Los Angeles and I watched it land like a Simone Biles gold medal routine.
As I criss-cross the nation and watch QBs like Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel, Penn State’s Drew Allar and today, Will Howard at Ohio State compete in training camp, I keep thinking about that line and as each QB drops back to pass I can’t help but recognize that each of these signal callers have met their fair share of adversity.
Like Coach Petersen said: it’s not IF, but WHEN adversity hits.
We are in a different era in college football, as 46 projected starters in Power 4 football are transfers. Each of those quarterbacks comes with a story of adversity, and how they had to meet it and compete to work through it.
If I'm honest, I think the majority of transfers are leaving their college of choice too soon and robbing themselves of staring those hard times in the eye. If I were to offer advice, I’d urge QBs to make a contract with themselves and to commit to at least 2 years at their initial school, pending a coaching change, and regardless of their place on the depth chart, to compete and lean into the joy of the work. Then take stock of what they learned about themselves on the other side of adversity.
One quarterback who transferred and met that adversity is Jake Heaps, who has seen it in numerous unexpected styles of his quarterback life. He shared his lessons learned in our latest conversation, presented by our founding partner 76.
In my football life, I’ve learned that it’s rare to be able to see life through the lens of a quarterback. It’s even rarer to see it through the lens of a 5-Star QB, Elite 11 MVP, freshman starter, two-time transfer, NFL QB, media personality, NFL QB trainer and entrepreneur. But for those that can, there are lessons to be learned. And for those that can’t, today’s conversation is for you.
Jake left Skyline High School in Seattle, WA as an 18-year-old with huge dreams. In 2009, Jake was the Elite 11 MVP and crowned the top quarterback in high school football. He arrived at BYU as a heralded recruit and backed up the hype, starting as a true freshman and even beating the school’s freshman record for TDs held by Ty Detmer. But after that first year, his path began to meet adversity and Jake began to learn about himself in the most unexpected and powerful way.
He would transfer to Kansas under Charlie Weis, and eventually Miami under Al Golden before starting his professional playing career with the New York Jets, signing as an undrafted free agent.
We met in 2009 during the Elite 11 Finals and over the past decade have worked together with that organization, coaching the next generation of QBs. Jake is a product of his experiences and has chosen to pour into quarterbacks across the globe. We discussed what matters most to be an elite QB, advice to parents of recruits and that to be a special player only one thing can cut through, regardless of craft.
The work, or as Jake says, “You can’t cheat the grind.”
Hope you enjoy our conversation and be sure to give Y-Option a follow on Twitter and Instagram for today’s report from Columbus, as we get to see one of the most talented teams in recent college football history as part of our Big Ten Network Training Camp Tour.
Much love,
Yogi
This episode is produced by Jim Thornby and edited by Jessica Altman.
This podcast is a Best Coast Media production.
Jake Heaps: Chase What Matters