Nazareth Defensive End Jake Wilson Selects Penn State as Preferred Walk-On
Other opportunities existed for Nazareth High School defensive end Jake Wilson.
The Allentown Morning-Call's 2019 defensive player of the year reportedly had his choice between Cornell, Fordham, Brown, Yale, Army, and Lafayette, among others.
This week, he picked Penn State as a preferred walk-on, announcing his decision via statement on Twitter.
"After much years of work, stress, setback, achievement and memories, I have decided to continue my academic and athletic career at The Penn State University! I would like to thank my family, my coaches, and everyone else who has supported me or played a part in this process. I have finally achieved one of my biggest goals."
As a senior this fall, Wilson racked up 117 tackles, 18 sacks and 39 tackles for a loss.
The outstanding effort amounted to something of a comeback for Wilson, who was limited during his junior year with a leg injury. Reported as a fractured left fibula, Wilson was forced out of action for six games and wasn't quite the same upon his return.
Returning at full force for the 2019 season, that all changed.
In a mid-year feature by Stephen Miller for The Morning Call, Nazareth head coach Tom Falzone fawned over his senior contributor on both the defensive and offensive lines, and special teams.
“That kid, he’s a workaholic,” Falzone said. “I don’t know if I’ve ever had a kid that works harder than him at every aspect of the game. Whether it’s the film breakdown, the prep time that goes into it, the offseason, the way he attacks the weight room, the extra reps he’s always looking to get, he never leaves the field.
“When he’s done taking his defensive reps, he goes and switches over to the offensive side of the ball. He just never stops going. He’s driven. He’s dedicated. He’s a captain for a reason, for how he conducts himself. He really is the model of the player you’re looking for.”
Nazareth won a PIAA District 11 title this season for the first time since 2011, overcoming Parkland 22-21 in overtime before ultimately falling in the Class 6A quarterfinals to St. Joseph's Prep.
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