By Matt Florjancic
D3sports.com
Playing quarterback at the college level requires a good mix of confidence and leadership. So does being a quarterback with the last name of Manning.
Dating to when Archie first became the signal-caller for the New Orleans Saints, the Manning name became almost the standard for quarterbacks. The tradition has continued as Archie's son Peyton led the Indianapolis Colts to the Super Bowl championship this past year.
While some are getting the job done at the professional level, Hope junior Jacob Manning is leading his team toward another Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association crown. Although he is no relation to Archie or Peyton, Jacob does enjoy fielding any questions about his famous surname.
"It definitely is a great name to have as a quarterback," he said. "It's always been a joke.
"Nothing against my dad or grandpa, but, I have always wanted my last name to be 'Elway' or 'Favre'," added Manning. "Now, those guys are awesome."
Despite any attention that his name may bring up, Manning does not let it bother him. Each day, he continues to go about his business with the same passion he takes to his activities off the field.
"Coming to Hope has been one of the best decisions I've ever made," he said. "I've always told recruits when they visit, that even if I hadn't played football, I would still love to be here at Hope.
"The people in this college community are wonderful people," he continued. "It's hard to walk across campus without getting a smile or two from students, faculty, or staff that you haven't even met."
When he is not drawing smiles from fellow Hope family members, Manning is inducing frowns on the faces of his opponents. In seven games this season, Manning has completed 119 of 202 passes with 13 touchdowns against eight interceptions. By completing 58.9 percent of his throws, Manning has a quarterback rating of 138.22.
Manning has also rushed the ball 37 times with one touchdown.
"God has blessed me with a great team and coaching staff," said Manning, who co-leads a football team Bible Study during his spare time. "It's through the support and talent of my teammates that I can accomplish anything on the football field. We have a lot of great football players and coaches who know how to play football here at Hope, and God blessed me enough to be a part of such a great tradition.
"I feel like as a group of guys we are very similar to last year's team," he added. "We are incredibly close and know how to have fun. There is a definite sense of support we all have for each other. That is something you can't take for granted. Some teams don't have that. I feel that that may be a primary reason to our success."
Currently, the Flying Dutchmen are 4-3 overall and a perfect 4-0 in the MIAA. While they remain unranked and possibly overlooked as being an elite team, they challenge themselves with a difficult schedule.
The non-conference portion of games featured home matchups against UW-River Falls and Central before the first road trip of the 2007 season. After hosting the Wheaton Thunder last season, Hope returned the favor by traveling to Wheaton to play the fifth-ranked team in Division III.
Though they fell 42-7 to the Thunder, Manning knows his team will be well-prepared should they claim the MIAA's bid to the NCAA Tournament.
"We play the best teams in the country," said a confident Manning. "I can say without a doubt even last year alone we played some of the best teams in the country. That just makes us better. If you don't win those games it hurts, but you can still get a lot better when you play those types of teams."
Manning's role on the football team has gone from simply being the quarterback to becoming a leader of young men. When the chips are down, Manning's teammates will look to him for strength. If the situation was reversed, they would provide a necessary lift for his spirits as well.
It is this type of training that will help Manning in his career after football.
"I plan to graduate from the education program here at Hope, majoring in physical education and minoring in psychology," Manning said. "I also want to coach someday, and/or possibly go to graduate school to become a crisis counselor.
"Hope has amazing faculty in the education department," he added. "Their approach has been to make the education as real as possible. This means a lot of actual time in an elementary or secondary classroom from around the area. It has been through these experiences over the last couple years that I've learned the most."
While professors are mentoring him, Manning is trying to better himself and others.
"I am in a scholarship program called Project TEACH which mentors future teachers that plan to attend Hope on a full-scholarship," he said. "I have been on a mission trip and plan on going on another this spring."
Division III loses a legend
Saturday was not a good day to be a Baldwin-Wallace Yellow Jacket, but the mood had little to do with the outcome of a simple football game. On Saturday, the B-W and Division III communities learned of the passing of retired Yellow Jacket coach Bob Packard.
The legendary coach was much more than that to the Yellow Jacket community. He was the man who succeeded another legend in Lee Tressel, the late father of Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel. He was named the head coach after years of playing and serving as an assistant coach.
Since retiring in 2001 as the school's most prolific football coach, Packard stayed active in coaching. He served as an assistant with Team USA in the Aztec Bowl, which annually features the best Division III players against a team of Mexican All-Stars. Packard watched as several of his recruits, including 2002 Aztec Bowl MVP Dave LaBahn, and other local talent like Ohio Northern standout Wes Hostetler, succeed at the international event.
This tragic news puts life into perspective for the Yellow Jacket community. Now, instead of merely preparing to win a football game against Ohio Northern on Saturday, the brown and gold will be playing to honor a fallen coach, player and friend.
Best wishes to Packard's immediate and extended families. May God bless you with strength and courage during this difficult time.
News and Notes
Waynesburg had its final tune-up last weekend prior to hosting the eighth-ranked Presidents of Washington and Jefferson this Saturday afternoon. Despite allowing three second half touchdowns to the Thiel, the Yellow Jackets were able to preserve a 25-20 victory.
Robert Heller had another great performance for Waynesburg. Heller carried the ball 32 times for 135 yards and one touchdown. However, big plays helped the Yellow Jackets. First came a 20-yard interception return for a score by Jacques Newberry. Then, Aaron Davis broke a 63-yard run to pay dirt. The play that sealed the victory for Waynesburg was a 75-yard punt return for a touchdown.
Case Western Reserve earned its first shutout since the 1999 season with a 42-0 defeat of St. Vincent Saturday afternoon in Cleveland. Case was 8-of-13 on third down attempts, while holding the ball for more than 36 minutes. Five of the six Spartan scores came on the ground, with Corey Checkan crossing the goal line three times on just 12 carries.
Kyle Simmons of Ohio Northern had a great day at Marietta last Saturday. The freshman from Orrville, Ohio, completed eight of 11 throws for 141 yards and one touchdown. Receiver Sam Adison hauled six passes, including the score, for 109 yards. Simmons also added a rushing touchdown in the 14-7 win.
Carnegie Mellon had fallen on hard times during its four-game losing skid. However, the Tartans broke the streak with an impressive 21-0 victory on the road at Chicago. Robert Gimson and Travis Sivek each topped the 100-yard mark. Gimson gained a game-high 113 yards on the ground with one score, while Sivek rushed for 111 yards and two touchdowns. The Tartan defense limited the Maroons to 73 yards of offense on the ground.
Wisconsin Lutheran earned its second victory of the season and first in conference play with a 28-26 decision over the Kalamazoo Hornets. Despite three interceptions and one fumble, the Warrior offense managed 418 total yards, compared to 395 by the Hornets. Wisconsin Lutheran running back Larry Hairl racked up 149 yards and a score, but the most outstanding individual performance went to Jordan Tallman of Kalamazoo. The quarterback was 37-of-63 for 360 yards and three touchdowns.
Earlham won its first North Coast Athletic Conference game in the newly dedicated Darrell Beane Stadium Saturday with a 42-35 victory over Kenyon. The Quakers won the contest with a 95-yard drive in the final minute. Terrel Brown capped the drive with a quarterback sneak for the touchdown.
Great Lakes teams in D3football.com's Top 25
No. 1 Mount Union (OAC): No change following 35-0 victory against Baldwin-Wallace
No. 8 Washington and Jefferson (PAC): Up one spot after 49-14 win at Grove City
No. 12 Capital (OAC): Down seven spots after 17-10 loss at Otterbein
No. 13 Wabash (NCAC): Up one spot following 45-14 victory over Oberlin
No. 17 Ohio Northern (OAC): Down one spot with 14-7 victory at Marietta
Others receiving votes: Case Western Reserve (UAA) receiving votes following 42-0 victory against St. Vincent
Games of the Week
No. 1 Mount Union (7-0, 6-0 OAC) at No. 12 Capital (6-1, 5-1), Saturday, 1:30 p.m.:The Crusaders may have been caught overlooking neighboring Otterbein last Saturday when the Cardinals stunned Capital 17-10. However, coach Jim Collins does not have a lot of time to rally the troops.
With the nation's top-ranked team in Mount Union coming to Bernlohr Stadium, Capital's offense must find a way to put points on the board without a full arsenal of weapons in the huddle. Capital's defensive assignment will not be easy either. Having to slow down junior running back Nate Kmic and Division III"s top-rated offense will be a great challenge for a defense full of All-OAC talent.
No. 8 Washington and Jefferson (7-0, 3-0 PAC) at Waynesburg (7-0, 4-0), Saturday, 1:30 p.m.: Record-setting running back Robert Heller and the Waynesburg Yellow Jackets will try to keep pace with the second-highest rated offense in Division III in Washington and Jefferson who are led by junior quarterback Bobby Swallow.
The Yellow Jackets are hungry for a victory over the Presidents, something that has eluded them since 2003. With the prolific offenses on the field, this game could be decided in the final frame by a crucial turnover or the last possession.
