Everyone has heard of a fifth year…but have you heard of an 8th year?! This week's coach interview is Jared Folks; the NCAA's first-ever 8th-year collegiate football player. Folks began his career at Temple under Coach Matt Rhule and ended his career at East Tennessee State. Get to know more about Jared Folks and his new position as Coordinator of Strategic Initiatives for the University of Nebraska!
Jared Folks' recruiting process
Jared chose Temple because of the relationship he established with Head Coach Matt Rhule in the recruiting process. Coach Rhule stuck with Folks through some tough times in high school when he had some disciplinary and academic issues. Jared loved the combination of grace and accountability that Coach Rhule provided.
Folks' Transfer Experience
The offensive coordinator at Temple relocated to East Tennessee State. Jared now had a connection at ETSU and, therefore, decided to make the switch. Jared had a very “rushed” transfer process. He drove down to Tennessee and started classes just two days later. Mr. Folks was able to pursue his master's degree at ETSU.
His NCAA record
As a “super senior,” you have no choice but to be a leader. Mr. Folks chose to lead the 18-20-year-old players on his team. Folks looked at the back half of his playing career as a fresh start and an ability to correct mistakes he made in the beginning. He also began to take advantage of certain networking opportunities.
Sports in the professional world
Folk talks about the difficulty in replicating the championship standard found in sports. Jared says that the biggest key is being able to separate emotion from reality. The biggest key to remember is that you are being graded on your performance and that you are held to a standard, just like in athletics.
Tips for student-athletes who are getting ready to enter the workforce
Jared's best advice is to resist settling for simply knowing your college coach and the people in your sport. He advises you to go out into the community and leverage your name, image, and likeness to connect with other people. Leveraging your image as a student-athlete is extremely important to future employers.
