Was This Texan The Best Small School Athlete In History?

Рет қаралды 183,223

Күн бұрын

The legend of Jake Merrell was borne in West Texas, in a town of just 400 people. One of the greatest small town athletes in state history, Merrell won four Texas state UIL Class 1A track and field titles in his final year with Turkey High School and before his graduation was a part of the school's football, basketball, baseball, track and field and tennis teams.
Today, Merrell is a graduate of Baylor University and works in the airline industry.
Here's our story from 2018, on Merrell's road toward the state championships: flosports.link/3lR8r4O
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Пікірлер: 127

@samuelbostian423 Жыл бұрын

I remember watching this video years ago. Still love it I rewatched it a couple times lol

@josep_romero Жыл бұрын

I first saw this video when I was a sophomore in high school. Seeing how hard working Jake was inspired me to grind even harder as a kid from New York. He rocks!

@DRHOLEEFOOK Жыл бұрын

He probably felt uncomfortable with the spotlight and the attention and just wanted to be low key. Stopped doing sports and now is a pilot. They do these documentaries expecting every person to just keep doing the same thing they've been doing but a lot of people change a lot between 18-22 and he probably didn't care anymore.

@kenbobcorn Жыл бұрын

The reality is, as someone who competed at the college level in Canada and went on to continue my studies, sports doesn't get you anywhere but academics will. Only the top few percent of athletes ever make a living out of the sport. If you are as driven as this kid is, then he can apply his mind to anything outside of sports and excel. But the smartest kids learn very quickly professional sports is a dead end road especially when you have the motivation to do great things elsewhere.

@GabrielMartinez-ed6xg Жыл бұрын

Gotta repost it bc people haven’t watched it wnough

@Clift0n Жыл бұрын

Gotta repost cause they got no other free content 😂

@sScrubster Жыл бұрын

People in the comments don’t understand how impressive it is for a 1A kid to run those times in high school… this is someone who lacks resources and fully relies on self motivation and grit, not expensive equipment or coaching. Just a kid with a lot of self drive who believed in himself

@jimmyatnip2510 Жыл бұрын

You should find the movie about Jim Thorpe. He was truly an amazing athlete. He was one of two people on his schools track team and they won the meet. He played football and baseball. In the Olympics he won both the pentathlon AND the decathlon GOLD IN THE SAME OLYMPICS. We have some great athletes, but none are a capable and diverse as Thorpe was.

@DA-bp8lf Жыл бұрын

First and foremost, Great kid!! Great work ethic! Great athlete! He will be blessed with a very happy life, no matter what direction it takes him in! 👏👏👏

@jamesarriola6056 Жыл бұрын

You inspire me to be my best. You remind me of my brother who in 1975 ran a 4:32 mile from a small town in East Texas. Thanks for the post.👍🏻

@joshtaylor4240 Жыл бұрын

Wow what a kid even when your dad said I didn’t think he could do it until he won the state championship as a freshmen….. really no faith until that point? Way to go man

@JL-yl8gd Жыл бұрын

Yah that was something else He must have destroyed everyone all season . I get dad didn’t know track but that never made him look into his sons times and see how special he was?

@JordanLong20 Жыл бұрын

Thanks for the story, MileSplit

@ch9ones Жыл бұрын

Just hearing someone talk about a 1A school is pretty funny lol, but this kid serms incredible

@bigbirdmcgill5170 Жыл бұрын

dude its not funny

@tylerbrubaker_7 Жыл бұрын

What’s funny about 1A schools?

@bigbirdmcgill5170 Жыл бұрын

@@tylerbrubaker_7 yes

@oscarenriqueromerocabezas5773 Жыл бұрын

Gran atleta este chico y me recuerda a mis inicios en el atletismo ya que también comencé en el básquet después en el vóley y finalmente me quedé con el atletismo. Ojalá perdure en este deporte y con su disciplina y llegará a ser un grande. Saludos desde Los Sauces Chile.

@sisk591 Жыл бұрын

Loved this! The part where his mom said, "He got his smile back" is priceless.

@theCranesUS Жыл бұрын

Great story!

@johnappleseed9290 Жыл бұрын

There’s an unworldly feeling about running in the middle of summer in west Texas heat.. and I’m talking when the right amount of wind is blowing mixed with the dry heat.. unbelievable.. I got to experience a few training sessions in Crane, TX during my highschool years (2009-2013) incredible feeling

@antaug14 Жыл бұрын

“Outside of running and studying, what I most do around town is…I like to work” lol

@ethan2viral Жыл бұрын

Very inspiring 😁

@pomanprod Жыл бұрын

I think he became a commercial pilot after Baylor.

@jonahfeld4128 Жыл бұрын

I think he might be too tall, pretty sure you have to be shorter

@Regimeshifts Жыл бұрын

@@jonahfeld4128 what?

@kaismithley6173 Жыл бұрын

@@jonahfeld4128not as a commercial pilot

@DaBears08 Жыл бұрын

@@kaismithley6173 nah man he’s way too tall. His head will hit the buttons above

@GregWittstockThePondGuy Жыл бұрын

Awesome!!!

@jeffarmfield2346 Жыл бұрын

Even though hes a distance runner, i def thought he was talk about Usain bolt when he said he gets compared to another 6'4" runner lol

@bigbirdmcgill5170 Жыл бұрын

you dont compare any runner to another runner

@jdub929 Жыл бұрын

Good to see a 1A kid run D1. Last year a kid from McMullen county went to auburn on a running scholarship.

@eligriff2087 Жыл бұрын

he recently just transferred to A&M and he used to run at my school, Miller Grove

@user-pf2pw5wd8l Жыл бұрын

Good Luck My Friend

@Nick-lz8ff Жыл бұрын

Olympian and NCAA Champ, Christian Smith - Garfield KS pop 151 has entered the chat.

@BobWireLegend Жыл бұрын

Love it!

@sneff1448 Жыл бұрын

Carson Noecker is from a small town in Nebraska and ran a 13:49 3mile at Woodbridge last fall. The same time Nico Young ran. He’s definitely on par with this guy.

@blairdrummond5043 4 ай бұрын

I graduated in 2020, same year as Nico, and it's crazy to me that all these kids the past couple years are destroying the times guys like Nico Young were running, when he was the best in a while. Even his own brothers and teammates from Highschool. But running seems to be a sport where mentality plays a huge role. Once one guys runs an insane time, usually others are pretty quick to follow.

@johnd5619 Жыл бұрын

this dudes a goddamn stud.

@chrisinator007 Жыл бұрын

How did that high school get away with copying the pats logo to a T?

@judahweesner2651 Жыл бұрын

Lol this dude's awesome

@thyslop1737 Жыл бұрын

Excellent in high school. Its where he peaked. Did okay in college.

@A-FrameWedge Жыл бұрын

Same thing happened to Al Bundy greatest High School athlete of all time.

@joselase6894 Жыл бұрын

@@A-FrameWedge 4 touchdowns in 1 game.

@chili24137 Жыл бұрын

When this came out years ago, one of the top comments was "The girls at state are going to have fun with him". I'm sure they did.

@christopherparker38 Жыл бұрын

Bonnie Richardson won the girls team state track championship for Texas 2A twice. She has to take the cake. Great achievement by Jake non the less.

@rsg833 Жыл бұрын

🔥🔥🔥

@johnaustin8013 Жыл бұрын

Check out Rudy Chapa from Indiana in the mid 1970's !

@iceicebaby6980 Жыл бұрын

His running shorts reminds me of the 70's.... OH WAIT, how old is this video? Jake is now a great-great grandfather, but it's still a good video.

@bigbirdmcgill5170 Жыл бұрын

no he is not

@Trizzer89 Жыл бұрын

I hate dirt tracks so much. I had one in VA, and it is miserable

@jamescampbell9533 Жыл бұрын

Spent forty something quail seasons walking that country. Best on earth.

@bigbirdmcgill5170 Жыл бұрын

wrong topic buddy

@jamescampbell9533 Жыл бұрын

@@bigbirdmcgill5170 also spent hundreds of Friday nights watching six and eight man football in Turkey and Quitaque and a dozen other little towns in west Texas and Oklahoma

@ChristianElijahDickens Жыл бұрын

He loves to keep busy uhh yeah “it’s literally nothing to do out there from the looks of it.” I’m sure he loves it though.

@StarTrolling Жыл бұрын

I wish the football players on my team would actually work hard instead of walking when the coaches aren’t looking

@bigbirdmcgill5170 Жыл бұрын

this is track not football

@Rufio1975 Жыл бұрын

@@bigbirdmcgill5170 What does that mean? Football players are lazy and track not?

@cowboycollarNM Жыл бұрын

Cool story. A bunch of Hopi kids do this at their tiny school too all while hauling water all the time up the mesas.

@joshuarivera2422 Жыл бұрын

I feel some Forest Gump vibes.

@Jamarcus__3340 Жыл бұрын

Where’s he now

@naeemtull2026 Жыл бұрын

he need to box

@igaroot Жыл бұрын

jim thorpe

@michaelfitzgerald434 Жыл бұрын

Fabulous!

@carterniemkiewicz5041 Жыл бұрын

Cool video but why the hell is their mascot, a 1 on 1 copy of the New England patriots 💀

@joehernandez3870 Жыл бұрын

That’s what I’m saying they didn’t even try to make it look different 😂

@klettersteig599 Жыл бұрын

Jay Co High School (Indiana) team is called the Patriots and has the same logo, maybe the Patriots gave out their license to public schools? It reminds me of how so many teams called the Bulldogs use the exact same bulldog cartoon that the Georgia Bulldogs use.

@vinhkphan Жыл бұрын

Are you sure that's not Clark Kent?

@ElBorichamo Жыл бұрын

Kid looks like Andy Petite

@davidlard8490 Жыл бұрын

An amazing runner while in high school but never heard from after. Dropped out of college and now MIA.

@Crimepaysaskapolitician Жыл бұрын

This is a very very old story, twenty years maybe?

@albmena46 Жыл бұрын

only 5 years ago actually

@Crimepaysaskapolitician Жыл бұрын

@Alberto Mena I watched a short segment of him on Texas, country reporter sometime in the nineties

@XARCHIIKILZ Жыл бұрын

Does someone know what hapenned to him ? I didn't see him run NCAA ?

@king-qi2ks Жыл бұрын

Probably quit

@makenziecely Жыл бұрын

I think he ran for one year and then his bio is very spotty. I imagine he had to give up his scholarship at some point

@jimmason8502 Жыл бұрын

He's slowed down by 3 seconds in the 800m since high school. What's up with that?

@naeemtull2026 Жыл бұрын

off the sauce

@albmena46 Жыл бұрын

nice video and cool story but clickbait title come on now

@patrickpepper2490 Жыл бұрын

Turn the tables on the school and say I guess you don’t want the money I’m going to bring your school then ok.

@snakey973 Жыл бұрын

@guydemullet303 Жыл бұрын

Taller, thinner George Clooney. Hope life treats him well.

@christianpastrana5938 Жыл бұрын

Repost \_

@JL-yl8gd Жыл бұрын

So he ran 1:51 in hs and in college his best was 1:55. That’s strange

@28mouse85 Жыл бұрын

Imagine your school telling you what facial hair you can and cannot have ?!? That’s ridiculous.

@hoochymama Жыл бұрын

Imagine posting this after watching this video and focusing on that? Fucking Tool.

@maxwellquigley6101 Жыл бұрын

My dad was kicked off his high school football and baseball team for having long hair! Small towns are something else

@das801 Жыл бұрын

Still happens at our town. The panhandle of Texas likes their dress code and grooming regs

@Scott16144 Жыл бұрын

Yeah why not. The next stop is. Why don't you put on some fluffy ears and tail and use the litter box?

@seaturtledog Жыл бұрын

Some schools do not allow the boys to run shirtless. When it is hot and humid that is the only way to run. It would be like telling the swim team that they could only swim in surfing shorts as the Speedos are to revealing.

@scottt172 Жыл бұрын

Yeah but Al Bundy scored 4 touchdowns in the city championships.

@Rana.Anand_Singh Жыл бұрын

I belong sweet country india uttarakhand state

@joekuhl3500 Жыл бұрын

So all he does is run??

@jeranimo.gaming Жыл бұрын

1A 💀

@brandonpassmann8883 Жыл бұрын

They trash fr

@bigbirdmcgill5170 Жыл бұрын

its not funny dude

@chrisbarnes9488 Жыл бұрын

Whatever happened to him

@andrearatkovic4048 Жыл бұрын

Didn’t have an illustrious career at Baylor unfortunately. Not sure if it was injuries or something else, but he’s a commercial pilot now. He was such a talent. I remember watching him at the state meet his last year of HS.

@randyevermore9323 Жыл бұрын

@@andrearatkovic4048 While I admire Todd Harbour, who was a great middle-distance runner in his own right, I don't think a college coach should put that kind of public pressure on a relatively untested high-school kid. That can make for a pretty rough 4 or 5 years.

@brianmcewen3082 Жыл бұрын

@@randyevermore9323 Jake quit track and gave up his scholarship after just one calendar year. 2019 indoor, outdoor, and one xc race was all he did in college.

@randyevermore9323 Жыл бұрын

@@brianmcewen3082 That's too bad. Judging by his 8K x-c time, he never got in very good shape (even for a middle-distance specialist). I'm guessing he had some serious injury problems.

@jesuschristislordofall777 Жыл бұрын

He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. John 3:36 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans‬ ‭6‬:‭23 Jesus Christ is the only way, seek Him while He may be found, before it’s too late, tomorrow is never promised.

@mnbvcxz4406 Жыл бұрын

no Jim Thorpe was best

@johnwilson5743 Жыл бұрын

I'm sure that Jake was a fine young guy but this story is just one of thousands relating to athletes from small towns. There is nothing ultra remarkable about it. Even his times aren't overly impressive. So, did the story... and success... continue after he left High School?

@tareknajjar764 Жыл бұрын

Not really, gave up the scholarship after a year from the comments im reading

@johnwilson5743 Жыл бұрын

@@tareknajjar764 That's sad but TY for replying.

@therealpeel1836 Жыл бұрын

Idk man 1:50.4 is pretty remarkable

@johnwilson5743 Жыл бұрын

@@therealpeel1836 Hi Logan. I'm an old prick now. But when I was at High School in the 1960's, I was a runner. (800/1500m) My main opponent had a best time of 1.48 at 800. He was 17. A whole group of us were running between 1.48-1.52 at High school and this was just in my Province (In New Zealand) So, Jake's High School times were only average, back in the 1960's! Runners have improved tremendously since then. Please don't think I'm knocking his performances BUT he's not remarkable in any way.

@carsonwright210 Жыл бұрын

@@johnwilson5743 I hate to tell you you’re wrong, but you’re wrong. Last year in the US only 25 kids ran under 1:50.4 which makes you much more than average. Being too 25 in any sport in the United States is remarkable let alone in track and field running for a 1A school where you have limited competition and people to train with. I’m sure New Zealand is different but in the US 1:50.4 in high school is far from average