Student Athlete Spotlight – PW Football – Jack Hildebrand

Student Athlete Spotlight – Jack Hildebrand

by Brian Coll

9/2/2020

This is a series of articles where we are going to turn our attention to student athletes at Plymouth Whitemarsh High School. The school board has voted to suspend the football season due to Covid – 19 concerns. This series of articles isn’t designed to change anyone’s mind, it is simply to highlight the young student athletes who would have taken the football field for their senior season.

While I am going to focus on the football players (having played from the time I was 5 I have a soft spot in my heart for high school football.) I also have to acknowledge the cheerleaders, the marching band, the crew working the sidelines during the games, the coaches and the parents of all of these facets of a single sporting event. Football also was a place for the students to gather beyond school hours.

For me personally, athletics was and continues to be a place in my life where I have formed friendships, developed social skills, leadership skills as well as how to take criticism and coaching up. Enough about me and my thoughts and opinions. Let’s look at our student athlete.

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How long have you been playing football?

I’ve been playing football for only 5 years cause my mom would not let me play before 7th grade

So, you have really been looking forward to your senior season. What are you going to miss the most about this upcoming non season?

What I’m gonna miss about my senior season is probably not being able to finish what me and my other seniors started so long ago when we first all came together in 7th grade. Also, I’m gonna miss not being able to look up at the crowds on Friday night and have that feeling that a whole school is behind this team.

Tell me your position (s) and stats from last year as well as size and speed in case a potential college sees this. Don’t be shy, this is the time to brag a little about yourself.

I play Center and Defensive tackle. I earned honorable mention for offensive line last year I am 5’11 225 pounds and run around a 5.1-5.3 Forty. I think on the field the way I think I play is relentless because even though I’m not the biggest I’m still gonna make sure you remember when you played PW. I am looking to play college ball and do wanna continue my career of football, but more about the team then me, we came together last year and won our first playoff game in 22 years. We had so much to over come and we came together to win that game after everything we went through last year.  

Tell me about yourself, hobbies, favorite classes and what you would like to pursue in college/trade school. Have you done any volunteer work?

I do also play baseball for PW and did lose my junior year season. I work at Plymar swim club as a life guard and love the job everyone is great there. For college I want to go in for business and come out and own my own business maybe as a personal contractor, or I would like to be a physical therapist either or.

Tell us about your favorite coaches and teachers. 

My favorite teacher would Probably have to be a Mr. Carr I’ve only known him for one summer as of now, but he truly is the nicest guy ever and just is always there to always listen or hear anything out and always see’s the best in people. With that Mr. Chang and my line coach coach Gill have definitely had a huge impact of my football career and my life. The lessons they have taught me especially coach Gill I will never forget. I am the man I am today with his helping. He has pushed me when I didn’t think I could push anymore he taught me that there is so much more in the tank when you don’t think there is. He has made me such a better football player and man and I couldn’t thank him enough for that. 

Praise for your teammates?

To my teammates if we don’t have a season juniors it’s in your hands now time to step up big. Step up and be the leaders I know you can be. With that keep your hopes up and let’s hope there will still be a season and I hope there will be so us seniors have a season with you guys. Fingers crossed heads high PW on 3 Family on 6 forever. 

And finally…. take a minute to tell anyone reading what football has meant to you.

Football is so much more than a game to me I’ve put everything I’ve had into this. I have been to all the workouts I’ve put in the work on my own and to have this season would mean the world to me. No one knows what being in a football team is like it’s so much different than any other sports teams it’s just unexplainable it’s a feeling you can only get by playing. The passion I have for football can’t even be explained it’s just when I am on that field everything goes away and that’s why I ask for this season to still happen because it is a huge part of my life and I want to finish my high school story of football walking off that field knowing that was my last game of high school football.

Also finally would like to add thank you to all my teachers coaches family and friends wouldn’t be here without them.

I had this idea to do these quick articles on these student athletes. This one, talking to Jack really hit home. I grew up playing sports with his dad, his aunts, I went to school with his mom. What a terrific family. I feel for these young men. I really do. Jack, thanks for taking the time to talk to me.