Jett Jasper found out Friday that he has to run six “220s.” It’s a running drill that all the University of Hawai‘i football players have to do when they report for fall camp. But the Kaua‘i High School graduate is
Jett Jasper found out Friday that he has to run six “220s.” It’s a running drill that all the University of Hawai‘i football players have to do when they report for fall camp.
But the Kaua‘i High School graduate is happy to do them because he’s soaking up being a part of the team.
“It was always my dream to be on the team,” he said. “Being born and raised in Hawai‘i, going to the basketball games or the football games, it was a big deal. Anything UH was a big deal.”
He and his family would fly to Honolulu to watch Hawai‘i games every year since he was around 9 years old.
Being invited to fall camp is a big deal. It means that out of all the guys who have been working out with the team all year, those invited to fall camp, made the team. Approximately 105 players are invited to the camp.
This means, however, that those who don’t have to attend the camp get three weeks off before the university’s fall semester starts.
Those attending the camp, get three more weeks of practice and no break.
“I don’t want a break,” Jasper said. “I’m ready to play. I want to play. I’ve been practicing for a long time.”
Compared to many other football players, Jasper got a late start. He didn’t start playing football until was in eighth grade. That meant Jasper had to work extra hard to make up for his inexperience.
“I don’t think I was big enough to play when I was younger. I was a little skinny kid, I don’t think my mom wanted me to play,” he said. “But I insisted on playing when I got older. That’s when I stopped playing soccer and started playing football.”
Now, the 19-year-old wide receiver stands at 6 feet, 2 inches and 200 pounds.
Derek Borrero was one of Jasper’s first high school football coaches. Prior to that, Jasper had only played two seasons with the Lihu‘e Patriot Pop Warner team.
“Jett was slightly above average,” Borrero remembered when first seeing him. “He had a decent pair of hands.”
Jasper continued to work out and improve throughout the year.
“Even as a sophomore, we knew right away that the desire to get better, was there,” Borrero said. “He was always asking us, ‘What can I do to get better?’”
Jasper was named a Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation All-Star his junior and senior year.
Personally, Borrero was pulling for Jasper to make the Hawai‘i team. But he admitted that, at times, he had doubts.
“You look at the talent the team has, like Ryan Grice-Mullen and all of them, that’s some talent out there,” he said. “But when I talked to the coaches at the University of Hawai‘i, it looks good. They tell me he’s at everything he needs to be at.”
Jasper didn’t miss a single work out, practice or informal afternoon throwing session. He always woke up early to lift weights and study plays. Jasper was training all year long.
According to Borrero, a player can learn all the plays, learn how to catch and read plays, but Jasper posses something that can’t be taught.
“What you can’t train is heart and desire and that’s what he’s got,” Borrero said. “I’m really proud of the guy because he wasn’t supposed to be there. But he had a dream. He always wanted to wear the green and white and from the bottom up, he did what he needed to do to make that team.”
There are currently three Kaua‘i players on the team: defensive tackle Vaughn Meatogo (Kalaheo), Kenny Estes (Waimea) and Jasper.
“Kenny and I are real good friends,” Jasper said. “He’s a hard worker and a real great guy. We lift weights together every morning and we run in the afternoon. Vaughn, I just met him, but he’s a good guy too.”
Jasper will redshirt this year to focus on his studies and the Hawai‘i play books.
“There are lot of plays to learn,” he said.
A typical day for him. His days starts at 6 a.m. He goes to the university weight room and lifts for two hours.
Then he watches football videos with assistant coach Ron Lee. After that, he attends his summer session Hawaiian Studies class. In the afternoon, the attends the informal throwing session on the lower fields. At 5 p.m., he joins the team for conditioning.
He has this routine Monday through Friday.
Jasper has a 3.5 grade point average and is considering a degree in communication or working with film or creative media.
In high school, he was an aspiring filmmaker with 25 films to his credit. He was also one of the producers for Ho‘ike Kauai Community Television.
His production, “The Last Call,” secured him a spot as a finalist in the 2006 HMSA Teen Video Awards Contest, where he received the red carpet treatment at the awards ceremony in Honolulu.
The 30-second video addressed under-age drinking.
Those 220s, though, have taken the top priority of him.
“I’ve trained very hard to get here,” he said.
The Hawai‘i football team opens its season Sept. 1 against Northern Colorado at Aloha Stadium.
Jett Jasper
Age: 19
Hometown: Lihu‘e
Family: Parents Rich and Therese Jasper; sister Jori-Anne (16)
Jasper sounds off on:
His favorite thing to do on Kaua‘i: “I love hanging out with my friends at the beach and stand-up paddleboarding. That’s something new we’ve been doing. I like to stand-up paddleboard at Kalapaki Bay.
His favorite NFL player: “Jerry Rice. He played on one of my favorite teams while I was growing up and he’s such about fundamentals. He was such a good receiver.”
His goal for the University of Hawai‘i football team: “We’re all shooting for being the WAC champions this year.”
What he would be doing if he wasn’t playing football: “I’d probably be at UH going to school full-time.”
• Lanaly Cabalo, sports editor, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 237) or lcabalo@kauaipubco.com.
