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05/03/2020 12:00 AMJack Driscoll always dreamed of becoming a professional football player when he was a child. On April 25, Driscoll’s dream became a reality when the offensive tackle was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fourth round of the 2020 National Football League Draft.
Driscoll is a Madison native who competed for the football team at Daniel Hand High School before entering the collegiate ranks. He played two years at UMass and then transferred to Auburn for his junior and senior seasons. Now, Driscoll is one of the newest members of a Philadelphia Eagles’ team that’s had three-straight winning years, including a Super Bowl title in the 2017-’18 season. Driscoll was notified that he’d been drafted by Eagles’ Head Coach Doug Pederson.
“I want to do the best I can. Whether I’m starting right away or not, I just want to make a contribution, and I have high expectations for our team,” Driscoll said. “We’ve got a great group of guys, and I’m excited to get started.”
Driscoll enjoyed an outstanding career as member of the Hand football team, playing right tackle, tight end, and wide receiver for the Tigers. Driscoll helped Hand win a state championship as a sophomore in 2013 and went on to serve as a captain in his senior year. He was also named the Tigers’ Most Valuable Player that season.
“Jack was a leader on our team. He was a hard worker and very committed,” Head Coach Steve Filippone said. “Jack was a very good athlete. I don’t think he was the athlete that he is today. He put his mind to maximizing his potential. What I said to Jack when he was drafted was, ‘You went hand over fist climbing the mountain.’ When he believes in a goal, he’s going to pursue it, and nothing is going to stop him.”
Driscoll stood at 6 feet, 4 inches and weighed 235 pounds by the time his high school career was finished. He then put on nearly 60 pounds of muscle mass when he started playing football at UMass. Driscoll is currently listed at 6 feet, 5 inches and weighs 306 pounds.
“High school was a great experience for me, and I still keep in touch with all my former teammates,” said Driscoll. “When I got to UMass, I initially wanted to be a tight end, but realized my talents were better suited on the line. I ended up working my way up to 295 pounds, and it was a grind.”
Driscoll was named to the 2017 Phil Steele All-Independent First Team as a sophomore at UMass. Following his sophomore season, Driscoll transferred to Auburn and earned the starting job at right tackle. Driscoll made 45-consecutive starts at right tackle for Auburn and was an All-SEC Preseason Second Team selection in 2019. He also made the SEC Academic Honor Roll.
“My time in college was great,” Driscoll said. “My favorite memory from college was our final game of the season against Alabama in the Iron Bowl. We beat them in a shootout, 48-45, and it was an exciting win from start to finish.”
Following the 2019 season, Driscoll displayed his skillset when he participated in the NFL Combine. Driscoll repped 225 pounds 23 times, had a vertical leap of 29.5 inches, did a broad jump of 114 inches, and also ran a time of 5.02 seconds for the 40-yard dash.
“The combine was a lot of fun, and I made a lot of great connections there,” said Driscoll. “When I eventually got drafted, I got congratulated by a lot of the guys from the combine and it was nice. We were all happy for each other.”
Driscoll credits his parents, Cory and John, for nurturing his love of football. Driscoll’s father played at New Hampshire and was a 12th-round pick of Buffalo Bills in 1989.
“Those two were always in my corner from day one. I don’t know where I’d be today if it wasn’t for them,” Driscoll said. “My dad really had me hooked on the sport from an early age. He played in college at the University of New Hampshire and instilled the love for the game in me.”
Driscoll made his parents proud when he was drafted by the Eagles. Coach Filippone also feels proud of Jack and believes that he’s going to put together a solid career in the NFL.
“Knowing Jack, I think he’s going to have a lot of success,” said Filippone. “He’s a standup guy on and off the field. I’m really excited to see him play with the Eagles.”