Big Dream: A Little Luck
June 12, 2003 12:23 PM | General
Reprinted from 1993 Mountaineer Illustrated
It was immediately after the Pitt game last year that I first realized West Virginia had something special in Jake Kelchner. Forget that he had just carved up the Panther defense for three touchdowns, throwing short and long, running around and through the Panthers.
 Quarterback Jake Kelchner (WVU Sports Communications photo) |
Forget that he passed for 168 yards, completing nine out of 12 including a beautiful 58-yard scoring strike to James Jett. Forget that it was his first college start, against Pitt mind you. Just forget all of that.
Even if Jake wasn't built like a Greek god, didn't have that long floppy hair, or couldn't throw a football 70 yards, he would still be the man. The guy just has a presence about him. I found that out right after the glorious Pitt game.
As I was leading Jake over to do a postgame television interview, a hoard of young ladies ran up to congratulate him on his performance. After politely acknowledging all of his new-found fans, signing autographs until there was no more ink in the pen, he glided over to do his interview. That's Jake. Always has time for someone. Just can't say no.
He was first in line to pose with a sick child at Children's Hospital for a poster promoting the Gold/Blue scrimmage, which raises funds to benefit the hospital.
Yes, he even has time for the press, patiently answering all of their questions, good or bad, intelligent or not-so-intelligent. He just shrugs his shoulders, says it comes with the turf.
"Just look at the position. Being a quarterback commands a lot of attention," says Kelchner. "You just have to be able to handle the attention.
"A lot of it has to do with how you're brought up," the senior adds. "You just have to take (all of the attention) for what it's worth. I know it can go away as quickly as it came."
Of all people, he should know. Just the slightest mention of 1990 and his eyes roll, his shoulders cringe, his head shakes.
"What a nightmare that whole year was," Kelchner says. "It wasn't like I was out looking for trouble; I wasn't obnoxious or anything. Trouble just found me.
"I think, looking back, I was just frustrated. I hurt my collarbone in the spring, I wasn't doing well in school and the more I sat around, the more frustrated I became. I finally told Coach Holtz that I had to get out."
It's not easy leaving a place like Notre Dame, where football and religion are interchangeable. Especially when you had the reputation that Jake Kelchner had coming out of Berwick High School in 1989. He had passed for 23 touchdowns while leading Berwick to the Pennsylvania big school state title. He absolutely manhandled Aliquippa in the title game, a team whose star player was Sean Gilbert, the same Sean Gilbert who can be seen on Sundays with the Los Angeles Rams.
Everyone everywhere was proclaiming him the next Johnny Unitas. He had scholarship offers from every major university in the country. ESPN analyst and former Pitt coach Mike Gotfried once said that Kelchner was the best high school quarterback he had ever seen.
There was a catch, however. Kelchner went to Notre Dame at the same time as Rick Mirer, also considered another Johnny Unitas. Then came the problems -- the academic problems, the trouble with the law. In the end, he wasn't running away from the competition; he was promised a fair shot at taking Mirer's starting job and he knew what he was getting into when he came to South Bend. Besides, he didn't lack confidence. He had volumes upon volumes of press clippings as a constant reminder of his abilities. Jake just wanted a change. And he is thankful that he had Lou Holtz's blessing.
"When I told Coach Holtz that I wanted to transfer to West Virginia University, he smiled and said that I was going to a fine institution with an excellent reputation, a quality program. In fact he wrote me a letter before last year to wish me well."
So off to West Virginia he went. He had high school friends here. It was a lot closer to home. In fact, it was a lot like home.
"Morgantown is just like Berwick,~ says the 6-2, 215-pounder, who passed for 901 yards and six scores in nine injury-plagued games last season. "I have really enjoyed the last couple of years here."
He has also behaved.
"I think I have grown up a lot while I have been here,~ he says. "I wouldn't change a thing because I have learned so much from the things that I have done. In fact, it's probably made me a better person.~
That's an interesting perspective. He has more ...
"I was kind of shocked when I saw the Charles Barkley commercial with him saying he wasn't a role model. Before I saw that, I really didn't think about things like that. After some of the things I have done, it really makes you think about what you do. Life's been good to me and I think it's my responsibility to give back whatever I can."
"Wherever you go, you have players running 4.3s, having 35-36-inch vertical jumps, who bench press 400 pounds. West Virginia in that respect is no different than anywhere else. What you must have is confidence. You must have the guts to work hard, to give the extra effort. That's what we were taught at Berwick. To play from the heart. It's something that you can see in a player's eyes."
"I'm excited. We have a lot of seniors coming back, we have a lot of leadership and we have a lot of talent. I think we will be a force to be reckoned with."
"They have been so great to me. Even when I wasn't doing well, the fans and the people of West Virginia really supported me. I appreciate that and I want to do whatever I can to give something back to the fans. I want to go to a bowl game badly -- for the people of West Virginia."
That couldn't have been said any better. I told you the guy has a presence about him.
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