CB East Star's Foundation Built on Ice

It’s kind of hard to miss Jake O’Donnell.

He’s large enough that he can block out a small moon, looking up at his imposing 6-foot-6, 235-pound frame. But what makes the two-way lineman unique, what attracted major college scouts from Miami to come look at him, was his speed.

Size is one thing. Compounding that with explosive speed—especially for someone as large as O’Donnell—is something completely different.

What makes O’Donnell a little unusual is where his leg strength emanated from. Most high school football players build their strength through time running and lifting. O’Donnell’s speed foundation came on ice—specifically a byproduct of playing ice hockey.

“I played ice hockey for eight years, because my father grew up playing hockey, and that’s how I got into it,” said O’Donnell, a three-year starter for the Patriots. “I’ve always been pretty big for my age. I played defense and skating was one of my strengths. I loved it, because in football, everything is scripted. In ice hockey, you just play. I miss it, though. Ice hockey was always a fun sport. I think that played a part in building my speed and getting faster. There are other factors, like lifting and running. But I believe playing hockey helped my coordination, definitely.”

O’Donnell didn’t begin playing football until relatively late, as a seventh graders. Most elite Division-I college football players usually begin playing organized football sooner.

He wasn’t an instant success; he had to learn all the fundamentals while playing against kids who had years of experience on him. But O’Donnell progressed very rapidly, thanks to his superior athleticism.

There was just one big complication.

“It interfered with hockey; I had to make a choice,” said O’Donnell, who carries a 3.2 GPA and scored 1,650 out of a possible 2,400 on the SAT. “I wound up sticking with football; I thought I had a greater upside in football.”

O’Donnell, who has made a verbal commitment to University of Miami, has bounced around the field, playing tight end and as a down outside linebacker last year.

“Jake’s athleticism allows him do to a lot of things, and Jake is the kind of player that can fill a lot of voids where you need them,” Pats’ coach John Donnelly said. “He didn’t come off the field for us last year, and he won’t again this year. He’s a high-character kid, which is reflective of his home life and his great parents. That’s where he gets it from. In terms of his work ethic, it’s outstanding. We closed with Central Bucks South last year and I wanted to give the guys a little time off and open the weight room in a week. He wanted it open the next day we were back in school. What makes Jake unique is his rare blend of speed and size. He runs a 4.5 [second] in the 40 [-yard dash].”

O’Donnell chose Miami over Maryland, North Carolina and Boston College. He committed in early June, before Miami and the Hurricanes’ new coach Al Golden, the former Temple coach, was hit with a scandal involving NCAA violations before the current coaching staff arrived. 

“I just loved everything about Miami. I loved it down there during my visit, and the coaches really made me feel at home, and it was a family-oriented team,” O’Donnell said. “You visit some colleges and college coaches can be uptight. It wasn’t like that at Miami, and on top of that, I fell in love with the school. It has a great business program, and I want to stand by the school and my commitment. That’s important to me.”

CB East football, 0-1, faces Norristown in game 2 of the regular season today at 11 a.m. at War Memorial Field at CB West High School. The game originally was scheduled for Friday at 7 p.m.