By: Patrick Dorgan
Have you ever watched professional or even college sports and wondered where the players come from? Well believe it or not, some of those players come from small towns like Plainwell. Currently, a former Plainwell High School student, Jack Conklin, is attending Michigan State University and is playing on the football team. Jack attended and won the Rose Bowl this year and is planning on moving up to the NFL and playing professional football in years to come.
Even though Jack keeps getting famous, he still manages to keep in touch. How was the Rose Bowl you might be wondering? “It was a dream come true. It was something I always dreamed of as a child and to actually live it and be apart of it was insane. Cannot wait to go back next year!” says Jack Conklin. For those
of you thinking about playing some college football and are worried about keeping up with school, don’t be.” Jack says, “At times balancing football and school can be very challenging but, we have constant support around us.” “ If I need extra help for a class I can go get a tutor or help from the professor personally.” Not only is Jack tackling college like a pro, but he is planning on going pro. When asked what his goals were, Jack said “The NFL is one of my major goals right now. As far as when I get the chance to go depends on how fast I develop as a player.”. Jack does have big plans for the future, but he never seems to forget where he comes from.
“Jack has a great head on his shoulders and is a genuinely good person. I think he is proud of where he comes from and proud of what Plainwell has done for him. No matter how successful his future is, I don’t think he will forget how he got there.” says Abbey Dorgan. Have you ever thought that somebody from Plainwell would go pro? Or even start on a college football team? “No. I always thought we had a lot of talent… But for a small town, I never thought anybody would make it super big.” says Abbey. When someone makes it big like Jack did, it makes you wonder. Was it just a fluke that Jack has made it as far as he has? Or was he just that good? “I think it was a combination. I think Jack has serious talent and works extremely hard, but I also think success has to do with where you come from. He has been given a lot of opportunities to improve and expand on his talents which other kids may not get.” says Abbey. If Jack is so hard working and successful, is he meeting his father’s expectations?
“My expectations were that Jack would earn his degree and play football for all 5 years. He has been surpassing my expectations. Not just on the football field, but also in the classroom and with regard to the things he is doing as a person. The MSU community has been very complimentary of his effort and his impact.” says Darren Conklin. What did Jack need to change going from high school football to college? Darren says “Physically, he needed to get bigger and stronger. I knew he would do that, I just didn’t know how long that might take. Boys play high school sports, men play college… Mentally, Jack had to adjust to the increased workload and strict schedule. Honestly, I didn’t think that would be very hard for Jack, knowing his personality.”. If you were in Jack’s situation, starting for a college football team and had a plan to move up to the NFL, what would you do? Go to the NFL? Or finish your degree and risk a chance of injury? “My expectations going in have changed. Starting as a redshirt freshman gives Jack the chance to start for 4 years at MSU. As great as that sounds, it’s also a lot of wear and tear on his body. If Jack gets the opportunity to go to the NFL early, I would be fine with that. Jack can always finish his degree later. His athletic window could close at any time and one of the major reasons I went to college was to improve my future earning power, and NFL left tackles have quite a bit of that….” says Darren. So, no matter how big Jack gets, his heart will continue to grow with it!