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10/27/2016 12:00 AMJacob Kruszewski has played football since he was in the 1st grade and felt excited to compete for the Warriors as a sophomore last year. However, Jacob’s plans were abruptly derailed when he broke one of his ankles during the second game of the 2015 season.
“It was tough seeing my team play without me,” says Jacob. “We had a good season, but it wasn’t what we hoped for. I knew I had to get better, so I worked hard in the offseason and did rehab.”
Jacob stood by his team through the remainder of his sophomore year, lending his support by attending each game and every practice. Jacob gained an even deeper appreciation for football, as well as all the hard work the Warriors’ coaches put in, while he was watching from the sidelines.
“It made me take the game more seriously and realize what I had when I could play,” Jacob says. “I saw how involved our coaches were, how much they did for the team, and how many hours they spent reviewing film.”
While Jacob saw the dedication on his squad’s coaching staff, Valley-Old Lyme Coach Tim King saw Jacob work his way back from his injury. King watched Jacob hit in the weight room during the winter and continue training through the spring and summer, leading Jacob toward earning a starting cornerback position for the Warriors this season.
“It was tough on him, but he didn’t quit,” says Coach King. “He went to camps, did extra conditioning, and did extra work. I give a lot of credit to him. He could’ve not done so much, but he worked to get back to playing form.”
Jacob says that his involvement with Valley Regional’s track team played a big part in his recovery. King also coaches the Warriors’ boys’ outdoor track squad and, although Jacob’s times in the 100-meter dash and the 300 intermediate hurdles weren’t quite as fast as he would have liked last spring, Jacob was happy that he built up some strength in his ankle.
“I really started kind of slow and had a lot of problems and soreness with my ankle,” says Jacob. “Coach King is a great coach and pushed me through and helped me to get my ankle to where it is now.”
Now, Jacob is in the midst of his junior season on the football field and has helped Valley storm out to a 5-1 record with the current top spot in the Class M State Playoff rankings. Coach King notes a big play in a recent 45-0 win over North Branford as a highlight of Jacob’s campaign.
“He made a huge play for us just before the half when North Branford faked a punt and threw the ball downfield,” says King. “Jacob picked it off and gave us great field position where we were able to punch one in just before halftime, so we went into the locker room up 31 instead of 25.”
Of course, Jacob is enjoying the success that the Warriors are experiencing thus far, but one of his favorite parts of football is spending time with his teammates—most of whom he’s played alongside since the 1st grade.
“It’s the whole brotherhood of it and forming bonds that will last a long time,” says Jacob. “Even though we weren’t very good during our youth years, we had fun with it. Every year we got beat, but we were all friends and had a good time. We are all best friends and it’s just so fun playing with everyone. It’s like a family.”
Jacob also has a large support network with his family. Jacob is a quadruplet and his brothers Cody, Ethan, and Dylan also played football when they were younger. Like his father, Jacob is a big fan of the New York Giants.
“My family, especially my mom and dad, have been huge influences on me,” says Jacob. “They never missed a game. Even when my dad had cancer, he never missed a game. They always talk to me about how practice went and how my team did.”
Jacob has also been influenced by his coaches throughout the years, particularly King and defensive coordinator Bobby Sanchez, who helps the team with winter workouts in the weight room. Jacob works closely with Sanchez and has played both cornerback and running back for several years.
“I like corner because it’s a challenge every play and it feels like the hardest position because the guy across from you knows exactly what he’s doing and you don’t know what he’s thinking,” says Jacob. “Running back is fun because I form a bond with my linemen. Without them, I’m nothing.”
Looking at the rest of the season, Jacob is hoping to earn All-Pequot Conference honors, while helping the Warriors earn a spot in the postseason. He’s happy that he still has one more year with the Warriors and will continue to work on a highlight tape to send to colleges.
Jacob is also looking forward to returning to the track now that his ankle has had time to heal. Coach King feels confident that Jacob will have a successful junior year that will get him ready for his senior season on the gridiron.
“He’ll be healthier this spring and that will help him going into his senior year,” says King. “Every down he plays is just more experience he gets and making him even better.”
Jacob is excited, too and, although many athletes may have been discouraged by the season-ending injury that he suffered last year, Jacob has learned a lot from being sidelined and the experience of working his way back onto the field.
“Breaking my ankle definitely made me the player I am now because watching them play without me made me know how much harder I had to work to get where I wanted to be,” says Jacob. “If I didn’t break my ankle, I wouldn’t be at the level I am now.”