Jake is one of 4 college football players to have the opportunity to be on the EA Sports 2012 NCAA College Football video game cover. Every year the game features a top collegiate football on the cover of the case, and this is the first year the public gets to vote.
Here is a trailer for the contest. You can place your vote for Jake here.
Jake is competing with Alabama’s Mark Ingram, DeMarco Murray of Oklahoma and Nick Fairley of Auburn.
In what was a highly anticipated announcement for the University of Washington and their fans, the Huskies were selected to play in the Holiday Bowl vs. the Nebraska Cornhuskers, a December 30th contest that will act as a rematch of the two teams.
The Huskers (10-3) traveled to Seattle in September and beat the Huskies soundly, 56-21, so it will be another great opportunity to play what many consider a top-10 caliber team. Nebraska is currently ranked 18th in the
country, and although the task is tall, Jake and the team are looking forward to proving they are better than their performance earlier in the year.
”I just think from anybody who plays sports and is competitive, anytime you have the opportunity to go out and improve on a performance or a game that you didn’t do your best in individually and as a group it’s always a good opportunity and it’s something that all competitors hope for, I think,” Jake said.
This is the second Holiday Bowl in a row for the Huskers, as they played the Arizona Wildcats last year. They won that game emphatically, 33-0. Conversely, the bowl game is the first for the Huskies since 2002, a loss suffered vs. Purdue in the Sun Bowl.
Nebraska is coming off a tough loss to Oklahoma, 23-20, in the Big 12 Championship game, while Washington won the Apple Cup against their rival WSU, 35-28, on Saturday.
A reminder that this coming Sunday, October 3rd, the second annual “Run of Hope” will be taking place in Seward Park. The event–a 5k run and 3k walk–benefits the Seattle Childrens Hospital and pediatric brain tumor research, and Jake plans to be there to participate even though he will have just played an evening game against USC in Los Angeles the night prior.
You can find more information at www.runofhope.org. The full event schedule can be found here, with registration going from 8:00-9:15 and the run & walk starting at 10:00.
You can also find out about some of the inspiration behind the event by visiting the Kyle Roger blog.
As you may have learned over the last year and a half, Jake lost a close friend, 8 year old Kyle
Roger, to a brain tumor in early 2009. Since Kyle’s passing his mother, Christin, started the Seattle “Run of Hope”, a charitable race formed in his honor to assist in the funding of pediatric brain tumor research. Last year’s event raised over $250,000 after monumental support from the Seattle community, and because of the great success it will be held every year.
This year’s charitable 5k run/3k walk will be on Sunday, October 3rd in Seattle, and the hope is to achieve another great year of participation and contributions to such an important endeavor. In that spirit, Jake shot some promos for KOMO–Coach Sark’s website has some photos from the taping of his appearance.
If you wish to find out ways to help without being a part of the race, please visit Kyle Roger’s team page. And, if you wanted to learn more about Kyle’s story, you can find it here.
Thanks to everyone who helped make 2009′s event such a great success, and we look forward to seeing you in October!
On October 18th, 2009 at Seward Park in Seattle, WA, join a great cause to help advance the research of pediatric brain tumor research.
Jake is passionate about this cause as he was inspired by Kyle Roger, a 7 year old friend of his who passed away
in early February of this year. Kyle’s family has a blog that detailed Kyle’s journey, and how they will keep his memory alive with their efforts to help develop cures for kids with cancer.
Here is a release on the website:
‘Put on your shoes and plan to join us for the inaugural Run of Hope! Every step you take will inspire hope for some child diagnosed with brain cancer.
The Run of Hope is a 5k Run and 3k Walk that benefits pediatric brain tumor research. Seattle Children’s Hospital and it’s Research Institute, the beneficiary of all funds raised, taps into a rich network of academic and industry collaborations to accelerate discovery and translate new findings into therapeutics for children fighting brain cancer. Funds already raised for this research have contributed to the development of Tumor Paint, a fluorescent paint made by the venom of a scorpion, which helps neurosurgeons discern where a tumor begins and where it ends. Being able to see a tumor that ordinarily looks like normal brain tissue enables surgeons to more precisely remove the entire tumor. Revolutionary discoveries like this are making a difference in the lives of children, but more research is needed! You can directly contribute to this important work by lacing up your shoes and participating in the Run of Hope! In addition to a wonderful course at Seattle’s Seward Park for runners and walkers, all participants will be treated to a number of family-friendly activities including games, great food, and amazing prizes!’
For contributions, you can click on this link.
