On Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2012, Central Bucks East senior Jake O’Donnell signed a letter of intent at a special news conference, accepting a scholarship to play football at the University of Miami. To view photos of the signing, please visit the Photo Gallery.
Jake O’Donnell – University of Miami (Football)
Major: Business Entrepreneurship
Final list of colleges: Miami, Boston College, Maryland, UNC, Syracuse, West Virginia
Reasons for choosing Miami: “It was a couple of things but mainly the coaching. I met coach (Al) Golden when he was up at Temple. He did amazing things at Temple, and I’m sure he’ll do amazing things at Miami. I have 100 percent confidence in him.
“They have pretty much told me that by the time I get down there in June – if I’m ready to play, I will play. There are (defensive end) spots open. I just have to be sure I’m ready.”
What was the progression that led you to playing collegiate football? “Ever since I started playing football 
– it’s every kid’s dream to get to the Division One level, but it really started becoming realistic to me about two years ago.
“After my junior year – I had a pretty big season, and I was talking to a lot of schools. I went through the whole recruiting process after that. It was very tough. After I got an offer from Miami, all these other schools came crowding in, and they were trying to steer me in different directions. Once I went down and visited Miami, I knew that’s where I wanted to go.”
Highlight of high school football career: “There are a lot, but mainly the time I spent with my teammates and friends.”
Coach John Donnelly says: “First of all, this is a great day for Jake and his family, and it’s great for our program also. He’s the first (Division One signee) in six years, and Jake certainly earned this. He’s a tireless worker, and to me, one of the intangibles - he was a great leader and a great captain for us. He teaches the young kids and goes out of his way to help them become football players, which you don’t always see. Not only was he the best player on the field, but he’s a guy that was very unselfish about his partnership with the team.
“From a football standpoint, he’s 6-6, he’s 245, he runs really well, and he has so much potential with his frame that they will put on 40 pounds in a heartbeat. He still has so much room to grow in terms of his body and just his talent level. He has so much room for improvement because of his frame and his work ethic. The only way for him to go is up, and I think he will go to tremendous heights.
“Coach Golden wanted to get kids from the Northeast. They obviously get a lot of kids out of South Florida, which is important, but they wanted to get some good blue-collar type kids from the Northeast. Coach Golden knows this area, and he knows the type of kids they can acquire from this area.”
About Jake:
Favorite food: Chicken
Favorite movie: Gone in 60 seconds
Favorite music: Country
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