The Unknown Stories
In
2017, Jalen Tate, a senior at West Creek High School, was competing in his
first and only track season of his high school career. By May, Indiana
Universities' Head Coach was coming to watch him compete at his Sub-Sectional
Track meet. He triple jumped 48' 5.75" (#8 All-Time). Two weeks later, he won
the State Championship in the event and a state runner up title Long Jump. By
June, he was walking on to the University of Tennessee.
I don't know what Jalen's prospects were like as a football recruit. According to this article, he was the best player Clarksville had to offer. All I know is that in January of 2017 his collegiate plans didn't include track and field and two years later he won the Stanford Invitational and was ranked top 100 IN THE WORLD. No big deal.
Even more recently, just last year Jaden Halliburton of Hillsboro High School tweeted this video at us:
At
a small weekday meet in his first season in track during the first week in
April, Jaden became only the 8th jumper All-Time in our database to
clear 6'10". Ironically enough, the meet didn't report the results so just for
assurance he did it again at his sectional and nearly cleared 7' with this
attempt:
He's
at South Plains College now and won the Texas Tech Indoor Shootout this year
with a clearance of 6' 11.75". Again, track was not in his collegiate plans
when his senior year started.