On a cool fall day at Auburn University, Jake Kruse was completing homework in his Cambridge Hall dorm room, but that’s not what was on his mind. He was determined to join the Tigers as a walk-on.
On a cool fall day at Auburn University, Jake Kruse was completing homework in his Cambridge Hall dorm room, but that’s not what was on his mind. He was longing to get back out onto the football field.
Kruse only had one year of high school football—or any tackle football experience for that matter—but he set his mind to a goal: he was going to join Auburn’s football team as a walk-on.
Anyone who is familiar with college athletics knows how difficult the journey is for walk-on athletes. They put in the same amount of work as scholarship athletes, often more, and don’t get anywhere near the recognition for the work they put in to help the program.
Despite his awareness of the long days and often thankless tasks that would occupy his life and force him to surrender a traditional college experience if he was successful, Kruse knew this was something he wanted to do.
Growing up as a baseball player, Kruse made his mark on the diamond for Helena. When the COVID-19 pandemic began, he decided it was time for a change when school, athletics and other activities resumed. He knew football was something he wanted to try.
“I decided to make the switch and signed up for football, went through summer training, then there we were, I was on the team,” Kruse said. “I think that’s the most fun I’ve had playing a sport, that one season I was on the football team.”
Oftentimes, people have to wait for an extended period of time to see if a big decision pays off. That was not the case for Kruse’s decision to pursue football, as he made an impactful play during his first game with the Huskies.
During Helena’s 43-0 win over Dallas County to open the 2020 season, Kruse returned the opening kickoff of the second half for a touchdown. This moment gave him the assurance that he was right where he was supposed to be.
“It hit me in the chest off the bounce and I bobbled it; it took me a few seconds to pick it up,” Kruse said. “Once I picked it up, I just looked up, took a few steps and there was a giant hole. I just took off and ran straight and to the right. I went all the way.”
After graduating from Helena in May 2021, Kruse headed to Auburn to pursue a degree in engineering. He had entered a new chapter in his life, but there was something missing.
Kruse loved watching the Tigers play from the student section while hanging out with his friends, but the more football he watched, the more he missed playing.
“Once I was done with high school football, I loved it so much and I didn’t want to stop. I had only gotten a small taste of it,” Kruse said. “I heard they (Auburn) were having a walk-on tryout. I said, ‘I’m probably not good enough to be on a college football team, but the worst they can say is no.’ I thought it would be cool, and I hadn’t gotten to experience as much football as I wanted to. So I went to that, and the rest is history.”
When Kruse received the phone call that informed him he made the team and turned his dreams of putting on a helmet and shoulder pads again a reality, he could hardly believe it.
The first thing he did was let his parents know that watching Auburn football games would mean significantly more to them when the 2022 season began.
Joe Kruse, Jake’s father, was overcome with pride and emotion when Jake told him the good news.
“I thought he had the talent to do it, but I wasn’t sure if it would happen,” Joe said. “I was very proud of him.”
When Jake joined the Tigers, he knew the work had just begun. He had spent his time with the Huskies as a cornerback, and Auburn wanted to use him as a wide receiver. He had to learn a new position while adjusting to the college level. Making it as a walk-on would require an intense dedication to the program, and it was a challenge he was more than willing to accept.
“The intensity is way more riled up,” Jake said of the adjustment from high school football to playing in the SEC. “I think that just goes with being an SEC school with such a profound football history and wanting to be the best. It was a lot of hard work.”
The routine for SEC football players is a demanding one, and it took time for Jake to adjust.
“You would have a 6:30 a.m. meal, then you’d have class, then you’d have weights,” Jake said. “You’d have lunch, then you’d have class again, then you’d have practice, then you’d have film, you’d have to come home and do homework and then do it all over again.”
Once Kruse adjusted to the difficult task of being a member of Auburn’s football team while managing his studies, he managed to grow as a student and athlete simultaneously.
“All the intensity took a toll, but it was definitely worth it,” Jake said. “It made the team better and more centered on each other.”
The life of a walk-on isn’t easy, and Jake had moments where he questioned if all the hard work he was putting in was really worth it.
Regardless of what was going on inside his head, Kruse stayed dedicated to the process and worked as hard as he could to make a difference for the program.
“There were definitely days where I didn’t know if I wanted to keep doing it,” Jake said. “Some days it didn’t feel worth it, especially with the lack of playing time. I knew signing up it was going to be like that. That’s something you accept as a walk-on, and you try to overcome it. You try to get to a place where you can be a star player, but it’s not going to happen that way for everyone.”
The large amount of effort Jake was putting in was worth it. Now that his time with the Tigers has come to an end, he has memories and skills he will get to carry with him for the rest of his life.
“It was a hard decision to keep going, but in the end, it really wasn’t because I was having the most fun I’ve ever had with my teammates and all of the stuff we were doing,” Jake said.
While Jake didn’t always know it, his presence made an impact on the players and coaches around him. He was considered a leader in Auburn’s wide receivers unit, and his presence is missed.
“He was a natural leader, a hard worker,” said Marcus Davis, Auburn’s wide receivers coach for the majority of Jake’s time with the program, when reflecting on what Jake brought to the team. “Everything he did, he did it with intent and purpose.”
Jake served the Tigers as a leader even though he didn’t get to step on the field much, and that’s the impression he left behind after graduating.
“It’s a vital role because those dudes work the hardest and they’re doing all the things required of a student athlete, but they probably aren’t getting the reward of playing,” Davis said. “To see guys like Jake do that and lead at the same time, it’s just a blessing to be around.”
With his football and college days behind him, Jake has started his career as an engineer. While he may not be lacing up his cleats to do his job anymore, he still uses skills that he learned during his time as a Tiger.
“The time management has definitely been the number one thing,” Jake said. “If I can build a team in an office setting, it’s going to bring me closer to what feels more comfortable with me.”
From a passion to turn one year of high school football experience into a college football career, to a passion to perform his job to the best of his ability, Jake possesses a work ethic that is hard to replicate.
While this was a trait he had prior to joining the Auburn football program, his experience as a Tiger undoubtedly strengthened it.
First appeared at Shelbycountyreporter.com.