Jack Velling: A different perspective towards football as a senior

Jack Velling explained how a preseason injury helped him grow and experience a different perspective toward football.

The start to Jack Velling’s senior season wasn’t one that he was very familiar with. Yes, being in year two at Michigan State did bring familiarity, but missing time in camp because of injury was not something he was used to. Being injured can not only change your perspective on things, but it can also change the way you approach the football, and the season as a whole.

This was brought up on Tuesday in his press conference appearance when he was asked: That’s a tough spot to be in fall camp when everyone is going in and cracking pads and you have to be in shorts — how do you mentally approach that?

Approaching something so unfamiliar causes a different perspective, but not only that, it allows for leadership and how your perspective changes.

The leadership opportunity showed through.

“It was tough like I just said but I just tried to be a good teammate and help out especially the younger guys,” Velling said. “Jayden Savoury. Helped him out a bunch, and you know you go in and watch film but none of it is of you but just try to learn from the other guys out there and take mental reps every day at practice…”

Not only can leadership be a role that can be taken like Jack did for some of the younger players, a different perspective towards football and the process can be born.

The process is something that coaches talk about and going through the things that you don’t like to experience that success that you want to achieve. This process includes doing things like warmups prior to games. That process and how Jack’s perspective changed because of his injury was asked, and his answer of “a lot” not only explains how much it changed, but he went into further detail on what changed.

“I used to hate the warmup, and now like I love it,” Velling said. “One of those fun parts being around the guys but just stuff like that or just getting out there being able to hit someone when you are just kind of confined not doing anything kind of sucks but definitely appreciate the game not playing but now you get to while I’m playing.”

A different perspective towards a small part of the process but it also changes your perspective on the sport. This change of perspective was formed through injury but also shows through his excitement to be back surrounded by the talent this offense has.

There is still a lot of excitement around this team and with having a player back like Jack Velling who said, “I feel really good. I think I have the chance to have a really good season especially with the guys around us, we are going to have a great season.”

There is that confidence still there that Velling and the offense will have a good season even through the injury he experienced and the change in perspective when it comes to the season, and football as a whole for him.