Being a college athlete requires your all, both physically and mentally. That's why I spoke with Jake Weiss, a former offensive lineman on Pomona football, who recently finished his career as a college athlete after graduating. Pomona is a rigorous and prestigious academic school, so I asked Jake how he was able to be so successful not only on the field but off to help recruits like you. Here's how our conversation went. 

1. Why did you end up choosing Pomona over your other options for schools? 

The main reason that Jake gave me was the fact that when he went to visit campus, all of the coaches tried their best to make him feel welcomed and at home. Initially, he did not think too highly of Pomona, but the coaches were energetic and made him feel special. He was also assured that the academic support system in the football program would fit his needs as a pre-med student.

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2. How was your experience with the team? Did the environment promote growth? 

Jake went into Pomona with zero knowledge of a spread offense, one run by the Pomona team, because of the lower-level high school program he came from. As a result, he was a poor pass blocker. The coaches stuck with him and always believed in him and worked with him so that he could make the big step in becoming a starter. 

3. Pomona is mostly known for its academics. How were you able to balance being a student as well as an athlete? What advice would you give other college athletes in regards to time management? 

When asked about the college athlete lifestyle, Jake said, “the honest truth is it is brutal.” Especially in his freshman year, the added time commitment in football paired with a harder course curriculum in his classes was a difficult adjustment. What helped Jake the most was the team he played for–his team was filled with a bunch of smart players who were taking similar pre-med courses to what he was taking. He was able to reach out to them for homework and studying help whenever he needed to. Jake also said that one way he was able to succeed was by understanding and taking the sacrifices that he needed to. This meant not going out as much as some of his friends and when he did, he went home earlier than they did.

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4. How did you like playing for Coach Walsh? What kind of coaching style did he have? Would you say he genuinely cared about every athlete on his team? 

Jake said that although he did not really work with Walsh that much, he thought he was a great coach. He said that Coach Walsh really wanted to win, but he put his players' development on and off the field first. For instance, at one point during his collegiate career, Jake was going through a rough stretch in terms of his mental health and decided to reach out to Walsh. Jake said that Coach Walsh handled it extremely well by sending Jake to not only the school's resources but also to other players on the team he knew struggled with the same problems. Jake said once he started opening up to the other players on his team he felt better about all of the things that were racing through his mind. 

5. What was the number one piece of advice you either received in high school or once you got to Pomona that helped you through your journey as a college athlete? 

Jake said the number one piece of advice that helped him be so successful was that he had to buy into any program he is in. He started off his career at Pomona on the bench for two years, but he worked super hard and listened to his coaches and worked his way to the starting lineup by his junior year.

6. What tips would you give to high school football players looking to get recruited? What worked for you during the recruiting process and what didn't?

Jake came from a school without much film so he said that if you are coming from a similar situation you have to do all of the outreach. This means putting together a professional Twitter account with a great variety of highlight videos. It also means that you need to constantly be contacting coaches with interest in their programs. He said the way he ended up actually getting recruited was because he went to a Columbia camp. He got injured midway through and while he was on the sideline he noticed that a coach from Pomona was there and no one seemed interested in talking to him. Jake went over and introduced himself and the rest is history.

Jake's story shows that you can come from a lower-level high school program and work your way up to the college level. There are sacrifices to be made if you want to be successful, but at the end of the day it is worth it. Remember to always be friendly and introduce yourselves to coaches when you get the chance because you may miss out on a perfect match like the one Jake found at Pomona.

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* Originally published on October 6, 2022, by Royce Linder