WA standout playing the waiting game

Washington's Jeff Jack does it all on the football field, offense, defense, kicking, returning kicks and he's putting up huge numbers each way… the only aspect missing to his game is the attention that would normally come from dominating in the stat category. Could it be because it's hard to define a position at the next level, he moved to Calif. for a brief time earlier this year or could it be he plays at one of the lowest levels of competition in the Evergreen State? Whatever the reason, colleges are starting to pay attention.

Jack, the 5-11, 195 pound senior at Royal (Wash.) High, is a throw back. Playing at the 1-A level, the second smallest school division, he's forced to have his chin strap buttoned up for practically every play for his team, currently 11-0 after a first round playoff blowout last weekend (50-8).

You won't hear Jack complain about rarely catching a breather; his stats back up the fact his team needs him on the field.

On offense, Jack has averaged about nine yards per carry, rushing for 1,461 yards and an impressive 28 TDs. He's also added 13 catches for 152 yards and a score.

On defense, he's physically fitted best at safety, but an injury to the middle linebacker put him, well, right in the middle of all the action and he's responded with 98 tackles (70 of which are solos) and two interceptions.

But that's not all: when the special teams roll onto the field, Jack is also right in the middle of the plays. He kicks the teams PATs, hitting 70 of 74 this season after setting a state record last year with 86.

"I usually start the game kicking off, but by the end of the game someone else is usually doing it," he says humbly.

And when his team starts a drive on a change of possession , it's after Jack has fielded a kickoff or punt return, three of which he's taken all the way.

As impressive as those numbers are, they were about the same last season when Jack earned State 1A Player of the Year honors.

You'd think college recruiters would be all over the three sport athlete (also wrestles and plays baseball), but the lack of attention is surprising as only one school, Eastern Washington, has offered.

Perhaps it's because he plays at a lower level of competition or maybe it's just hard to pigeonhole him at one position.

"I'm being recruited mostly at safety, but some schools like me at outside linebacker, too," Jack explains.

Another reason for the inattention could be he got lost in a family move, when his father moved the family from Royal to Brawley, Calif. briefly to work with family. The Jack clan soon moved back to Washington and the senior standout was happy to head back to familiar turf, literally.

"It was tough to leave," he remembers, "but not too tough to turn down the chance to get a second state championship. I'm glad I was able to come back and things are looking good now."

Jack is LDS (Mormon) and will trip to BYU in mid-January. He says he'll likely take a church mission "whenever the school I go to wants me to" and plans on studying pre-law.

Washington, Oregon State and Idaho have called and he's also getting a lot of Ivy League interest, primarily from Yale and Princeton, due to his 3.84 GPA and 1760 SAT.

All those schools are on his favorites' list, but he loyally puts Eastern Washington at the top because, "they've put a scholarship offer on the table."