Offensive tackle Jack Conklin’s rise to first-round selection didn’t transpire in the traditional way. The Titans’ rookie had an uphill climb, to say the least, going from overlooked high school graduate to first-team All-Big 10 over a four-year period. Along the way, Conklin proved his ability against top-flight competition, impressed coaches and subsequently earned the responsibility of protecting Marcus Mariota, the former No. 2 overall pick, for the foreseeable future at blindside tackle.
Here are some things you probably didn’t know about the man the Tennessee Titans just made the face of their offensive line.
1. No Scholarship Offers Out of High School
Before becoming a first-team All American at Michigan State followed by a first-round draft selection of the Tennessee Titans, Jack Conklin was once a high school senior with zero scholarship offers. The 21-year old offensive lineman joined the Spartans’ team as a walk-on his freshman year, and after being redshirted in 2012, he started 13 of 14 games in 2013 at either left or right tackle, proving his versatility early on. Conklin would go on to start 38 of 39 career games at MSU while solidifying his status as an elite prospect in the 2016 draft.
2. Dad Is A High School Football Coach
Making Conklin’s struggle for Division I recognition even more surprising was the fact that his father, Darren, is a football coach at his high school alma mater, Plainwell High in Plainwell, MI. As such, sending his game tape out to college programs wasn’t an issue. He and his dad tried anything to get noticed by Big 10 universities, even once sending a clip of Jack water-skiing to then-Illinois’ coach Ron Zook, an avid water-skier himself. While the strategy didn’t quite workout then, the 6-foot-6 lineman eventually found his way to Mark Dantonio, who convinced him to enroll at MSU, be patient and wait for his opportunity. The rest is history.
3. Grew Up In A Wolverine Household
Before Jack’s arrival at Michigan State in 2012, you’d probably hear “Go Blue” at the Conklin residence on Saturday afternoons. It was once a Wolverine household. Jack’s father walked-on with the Michigan football team in 1986, and his mother, Jennifer, swam for the school in 1989. She was part of the 800-yard freestyle relay squad that was honorable mention All-American that year. It should come as no surprise Conklin comes from a family of athletes. His aunt played collegiate volleyball and his maternal grandfather, Ron Jackson, played seven years in the MLB.
4. Multi-Sport Athlete
It’s not uncommon to learn that skill-position football players lettered in multiple sports in high school, but offensive linemen typically aren’t the ones thought of as elite athletes. Jack Conklin, however, is an outlier. Along with football, the No. 8 overall pick competed in swimming, baseball, basketball and threw shot put and discuss. His high school resume speaks to his athletic ability, something NFL teams look closely at while determining the good O-Linemen from the great. Conklin’s training in all other sports should benefit his career in football as it’s made him a more agile and versatile player. Not to mention he’s studied multiple strategies and become a student of many games.
5. Predicted His Future At The Age of 8
It’s likely that a few students wrote down “NFL Player” for the question, “What Do You Want To Be When You Grow Up?” But for Conklin, it came true. In 2001, Conklin’s Sunday school class was assigned to write an essay on their future dreams and, at just 8-years old, Jack knew what he wanted to be in life. He wanted to be an NFL player, and 14 years later, he’s a member of the Tennessee Titans.
