By FRED KRONER
Jack Carey is one of those athletes who is at home on a football field, regardless of where he is positioned.
He might be a running back, a slot or a receiver on offense. On defense, he might be in the secondary or even an outside linebacker.
He is, Oakwood coach Al Craig said, someone who lives up to his name.
“He was our Jack of all trades,” Craig said.
Versatile athletes are valuable athletes. They are not locked into one position, but capable of playing many, which affords them multiple opportunities to be on the field.
As a senior at Oakwood, Carey averaged 8.2 yards per carry and scored touchdowns on six of his 51 attempts. He was the Comets’ No. 1 receiver, gaining 294 yards on receptions and turning four of his six catches into touchdowns.
Defensively, he tied for the team-lead in interceptions with five.
This from a person who started high school as a 5-foot-5, 100-pound freshman.
He is now 5-11, 165 and ready to embark on a collegiate career with the Rockford University football team.
“I grew a lot when I got into high school, which of course helped tremendously,” Carey said. “I got much stronger and much faster, which is what led to me being much better at football.”
Despite his success for Oakwood’s Class 2A playoff entry – an 8-3 team which advanced into the second round – Carey anticipated that the end of the high school season would also mark the end of his competitive career on the gridiron.
“I thought after my senior year, football would be over and it was just sad to think about never stepping on a field to play football again,” Carey said.
“I know it’s very hard to get into a college to play any sport and being from a small town, the idea just didn’t seem realistic.”
Until it did.
“I thought about competing in college when I started getting emails by the end of the season from schools saying they were interested,” Carey said. “Having this opportunity is a dream come true.”
Carey was motivated not only by coaches, but he also drew inspiration from other players, “whether they be on my team or the team I am playing against, mainly because even if it’s not possible, I want to be the best on the field.”
That attitude of determination is one Craig has seen since Carey has been on the scene at Oakwood.
“He was a hard worker,” Craig said. “Between his junior and senior seasons, he put on about 20 pounds of muscle and just lived in the weight room that off-season.”
Developing a strong work ethic was necessary for Carey’s survival in the sport in his early years when he found himself at a size disadvantage.
“Football was definitely a sport that had to grow on me because I wasn’t very physical when I was young, so I got tossed around a lot,” Carey said, “but eventually, I stepped up, the frustration passed and I got better.
“When I started playing football (as an 8-year-old), I wasn’t very good or very physical, so it took some work, but through good coaching and motivation I started to learn the ropes and become much better.”
As he began to flourish in the sport, his enjoyment increased.
“Football is undoubtedly my favorite sport,” said Carey, who tried his hand at several other athletic endeavors, including baseball, basketball, hockey, soccer, track and wrestling.
“Just everything about it drives me to be the best I can for my team. I feel like I’ve always been best at contact sports because of my physicality.”
Among the coaches who have been instrumental in Carey’s development were Bruce and Brett Harrison, Brady Leeman, Al Craig, Cameron Lee, “and a few others,” Carey said.
“I’ve been surrounded by some very good coaches in my time and they’ve helped me because without them I wouldn’t have the football IQ that I have now and I wouldn’t know certain techniques that I know now,” he added.
Craig sees Carey as someone who can continue to make an impact, even when he reaches college.
“Jack was a really heady player for us. He knew several positions on the field which made him very versatile,” Craig said.
“I see Jack filling that same role at Rockford. I could see him playing offense as a slot receiver or receiving back.
“I could also see him on defense as a defensive back. Rockford got a really good player that will be able to fill needs at the next level.”
Carey’s college decision, he said, came down to two finalists and two different paths.
“I was only really looking at Eastern Illinois University and Rockford,” he said. “At EIU, I would just be going to school and Rockford would be for both school and football.”
Though he had hoped to play football, his choice was made for other factors.
“When I visited, it just seemed like the school for me,” Carey said. “I don’t really know how to explain it other than it just felt right.”
He plans to enter a pre-med curriculum.
Carey didn’t find the recruiting experience to be difficult.
“The recruiting process was very easy actually and I wouldn’t say I didn’t like anything,” he said. “I just found it intimidating meeting some of the older football players because I thought it was going to be a cliche of having to meet their standards, but it wasn’t like that at all. They were easy-going, easy to talk to and just nice people.”
Carey said his family was instrumental, not only during the recruiting process, but also for instilling confidence throughout his career.
“My parents (Jon and Jo Carey) and my siblings (Dylan Kasey and Shauna Carey) were just so great through the whole process from when I was young to now,” Jack Carey said. “They’ve always stood behind me and it means so much.
“It’s great having them there because they pick you up when you fall down and feel like you can’t get back up. They motivate you because you want them to be proud, so you do everything you can to make them proud.”
