After looking back at my past four years in high school, I realize that there have been a few key factors that have helped me to be successful. Coach Jeff Ketron has, by far, played the biggest role in my high school career. My parents, and the way they raised me, have also helped me throughout high school.
Coach Ketron first influenced me when I was in eighth grade. He came to the middle school and gave a speech to everyone who thought they might want to play football at Douglas County High School. During that speech, I realized he was a different kind of person. I discovered he truly cares about each individual and their success on and off the field. During high school, Coach Ketron motivated me in the weight room, and both on and off the field. He never let me coast through things. He was always pushing me to be better. During high school, someone can choose to be whoever they want to be. You can go down so many different paths. But what Coach Ketron did was help guide me toward the one that was going to help me be successful. He will always have an impact on the way I do things. He shaped me as a football player, but more importantly as a person.
My parents have always pushed me to be everything that I can be. They have made sure I respect every person I come in contact with. They are a huge part of why I have been able to accomplish what I have so far. My parents have given me freedom while in high school and treat me like I am a grown-up most of the time. I thank them for that because it has helped me tremendously in the actual process of becoming a man.
While in high school, I have been faced with many decisions that could have jeopardized what I had in front of me. There has always been pressure on me while at high school, whether it was in a football game or in the classroom. I always want to be a leader, but with that comes a lot of extra responsibilities. My time in high school got very stressful at times because there is a lot riding on the things you do. For example, when I took the ACT, I knew I had to do well because many different colleges would base their decision on offering scholarships on that single test score. Also, in day-to-day school, I had to stay focused, keep a high GPA, and finish my homework after practice. I have been in a sport all through high school, whether it was football, basketball, track or lacrosse. At times, it was hard to go home and do homework after going to school all day and then practice. But thanks to my parents and Coach Ketron, I was able to stay motivated and get it done.
Every football game was an opportunity for me to do something I love, but it was also a tryout for the next level. Each game I played, I knew that I had to make a play or make something happen in order to get noticed. Coach Ketron pushed me very hard during summer workouts. The workouts helped me become very strong and explosive, which was vital to my success as a football player.
In the end, everything has come together quite nicely. I had a lot of fun in high school and grew a lot as a person. Football by far was the highlight, whether it was starting as a sophomore, winning a state championship or almost winning it my senior year. I owe so much of my success to the people who helped and motivated me along the way. However, I am not done. I hope to continue my success at Boise State, and we’ll see where I can make it from there.
Tyler Jackson
