article Questions and Answers with Ryle's Jake Chisholm

BluegrassPreps.com - Questions and Answers with Ryle's Jake Chisholm

Unless you have been hiding under a rock for the last few days you already know Ryle's Jake Chisholm had one of the all time greatest games for a Kentucky High School Running Back. Chisholm gained nearly 450 yards and scored 6 Touchdowns to lead the Ryle Raiders over previously undefeated Simon Kenton 56 to 38.

Over the course of this season I have been fortunate to become acquainted with Jake because we both workout at the Florence location of Crunch Fitness. I had the opportunity to interview Jake between between sets the day after his record breaking performance.

theguru: Congratulations Jake.

Chisholm: "Thank you sir" as he looked me in the eye and firmly shook my hand.

theguru: How did you do it? Simon Kenton is good and they loaded the box against you.

Chisholm: I was taking what was there. Our offensive line did a great job.

theguru: The magnitude of your accomplishment is hard to put in perspective. You did this against a very good, undefeated and highly ranked, 6A Football Team.

Chisholm: Smiles... "Thank you sir."

theguru: I see you working out here for two hours at a time on Saturdays. Why here and not at Ryle?

Chisholm: I workout all week with the team and I workout at Crunch on Saturday, it is my routine.

theguru: I totally get that, me too on my routine.

Chisholm: Smiles

I have been extremely impressed watching Chisholm workout. Jake is in the gym for two hours on Saturday after every game. I wanted to know more about Chisholm's work ethic so I asked Ryle Strength and Conditioning Coach, Jerrod Babik, about Jake.

"Jake is the hardest working athlete I have ever met and I have coached multiple players who are currently in the NFL. His dedication to the weight room is obvious on the field. During this past off-season he would come to the 2 hour strength and conditioning workouts at Ryle then later in the day he would be at the gym working out again. He did that every single day of the off-season. A few times this summer I literally had to tell him not to workout anymore. Even now during in season he messages me every Saturday morning to get a workout to do on his own."

Additionally Coach Babik gave me Jake's lifting numbers:

Back squat 465

Bench press 265

Power Clean 275

theguru: HEY Chisholm! Are you working out or are you playing on your phone?

Chisholm: I am getting a lot of notifications today.

theguru: That's what happens when you are a Celebrity.

Chisholm: Just looks at me...

theguru: What's your nickname?

Chisholm: "Chiz" or "The Chiz" he says with a big smile.

theguru: Yeah yeah, we all know that one, what's the other nickname we don't know?

Chisholm: A former basketball coach of mine gave me the nickname Jake the Snake!

theguru: Was this Ryle's best week of practice?

Chisholm: It was a great week of practice but not our top.

theguru: I am sure Indianapolis Cathedral was a good week too?

Chisholm: Quietly nodded yes in agreement.

Coach Babik also added the following on Jake:

"Along with his dedication to the weight room training Jake is an incredible person. On many occasions, I have witnessed Jake willingly invest time with younger teammates to encourage and mentor them. He is the kind of kid who will help unload the bus, fill the coolers with water and tear down the field after a game even though he doesn’t have too. Jake Chisholm is an extremely intelligent, gracious, humble, respectful, selfless and grounded young man that will be very successful in life."

I decided to press Jake in the interview because after all this is BluegrassPreps.com and we like to tackle the tough questions.

theguru: How do you stop Jake Chisholm?

Chisholm: You have to out muscle our offensive line.

theguru: I was trying to trip you up, you are pretty good this.

Chisholm: I have some experience.

theguru: Touche' Chiz! What about your college interest?

Chisholm: I would love play College Football and I am talking with a lot of colleges.

theguru: If you get the right offer go for it, but academics are what matters.

Chisholm: I am focused on academics and my education. (Jake didn't tell me this but quote: Jake also has a 4.0 unweighted GPA and a 28 on his ACT)

How tough is Jake? For the answers to that question I turned to Jake's mom, Tina Chisholm, for the rest of the story. This short Q/A has been adapted for dramatic effect.

theguru: What makes Jake so tough?

Tina Chisholm: Jake use to play football in the backyard with his 8 year older brother, Jason, and his friends. I learned years later that they didn't take it easy on him. They were just as rough with him as they were on each other.

theguru: Tell me about the time Jake got injured and cried?

Tina Chisholm: When Jake was in 2nd grade he dislocated his elbow during the pre-season game. He never cried until he found out that he couldn't play football. He did get to play during the end of the season and won Offensive Player of the Year award for the BCPWFL Raiders.

theguru: I heard a story that Jake got so nervous before practice once he tossed his cookies?

Tina Chisholm: When Jake was in 1st grade at his first football practice with the BCPWFL Raiders he was so nervous that he threw up before practiced started.

theguru: U done good Mommy! Thank you.

Tina Chisholm: Thanks for taking an interest in him! Let me know if you need any more info.

I would like to personally thank Tina Chisholm and Coach Jerrod Babik for their contributions to this article. Now it is time to finish up with Jake "The Snake" Chisholm.

theguru: Hey Chiz! Should we Fear the Beard?

Chisholm: Smiles real big, Yes!

theguru: What do you think of BluegrassPreps.com?

Chisholm: I read it all the time.

theguru: Why?

Chisholm: I like seeing other people's opinions from outside my area.

theguru: Good luck the rest of this season, it is tough sledding at the top of 6A Football.

Chisholm: Pauses for just an instant and in the most sincere tone says, "Trinity is pretty good."

Just like that, 2 hours and 14 minutes after Ryle Raider Superstar Jake Chisholm walked into the gym, he walked out.

Once again, Congratulations to Ryle RB Jake Chisholm for achieving one of the greatest rushing performances in the history of Kentucky High School Football.

Great, Great read thanks theguru and thanks Jake. Congratulations looking forward to hearing more about you in the future.

I first saw Jake in a game early last season and it was obvious that the kid was something special. I was amazed at his strength and the tackles he broke even though he did not look that big on the field. As I read about his work ethic in the weight room it's obvious now how he breaks those tackles. If he doesn't get an offer from a school that he wants to play at, I hope he walks on because I have no doubt he will be a success.

Hope he gets a scholarship offer soon.

Maybe I've missed these athlete interviews before, but this is a great concept for this site! Well Done!

Really great tribute to an outstanding young man. What a great illustration of the power of hard work and teamwork. Chiz is the all around real deal! Great job, Coach Babik, of working with Chiz and the rest of the Raiders!

Thanks Ru - well done!

Thank you so much for this, my son is lucky enough to be one of Jake's teammates and very good friends. He is a heck of a kid and you portrayed that exceptionally well with this Q & A. The group of boys that hang together are all good kids, so I seems they wear off on each other : )

Excellent article/interview Guru! Not only is Jake a great athlete, but appears to be a great person as well. No doubt in my mind that he lives a successful life after high school.

Very fun, informative and well written article!

Keep grinding young man...you'll land where you need to be! Continued success and congrats on a heckuva senior season. :thumb:

Hope he gets a scholarship offer soon.

I'm pretty shocked he doesn't have any already...

It is all about the "vitals" with colleges. Per recruiting web sites, he is unranked (no stars), 5' 9" 176 lbs and ran a 4.69 forty yard dash.

I am not a fan of recruiting sites and everyone knows they cannot measure the intangibles.

I wish him continued success and agree with his background and attitude, Chisolm will do well in college and in life after football.

Check out this run from the SK game. Acceleration like crazy.

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It is all about the "vitals" with colleges. Per recruiting web sites, he is unranked (no stars), 5' 9" 176 lbs and ran a 4.69 forty yard dash.

 

I am not a fan of recruiting sites and everyone knows they cannot measure the intangibles.

 

I wish him continued success and agree with his background and attitude, Chisolm will do well in college and in life after football.

Jake had participated in 6 track and field events the night before the combine. One of those things you would like to redo. His vision, acceleration, cutting ability, speed and elusiveness along with academics and character will land him playing college football somewhere. Someone will get a gem.

It is all about the "vitals" with colleges. Per recruiting web sites, he is unranked (no stars), 5' 9" 176 lbs and ran a 4.69 forty yard dash.

 

I am not a fan of recruiting sites and everyone knows they cannot measure the intangibles.

 

I wish him continued success and agree with his background and attitude, Chisolm will do well in college and in life after football.

Whole game film tells the real story.