Horned Frogs First Person: Jared Wiley
11/15/2023 8:37:00 AM | Football
Tight end rediscovers love of football
(as told to Lily Margaret Greenway)
When I was deciding on colleges in high school, I looked at a lot of factors – like the city where I was going to be for the next four years. But as I entered the transfer portal from Texas, I was thinking of nothing but football. TCU gave me another chance. When I was at Texas, I stopped loving the game. I struggled to grow up. I wasn't worried about the right things. I was surrounded by distractions, and I was ready to be done with football. But after I transferred here last year, the coaches and my teammates made me fall in love with the game all over again. I owe TCU, at the bare minimum, everything I've got every week. I cannot describe the gratitude I have for this community that saved me from a lot of wrong decisions, and helped me slow down my life.
It is easy to feel invincible as a D1 football player, but something always happens to bring you back down to earth. Right after I came to TCU, I was greatly humbled by having to get back surgery. The time off made me reflect on how I got to this point, how to grow and mature as a person, and who I was when I wasn't playing football. I leaned a lot on my family, and on the friends who welcomed me with open arms over the short couple of months I had called Fort Worth home. And I started praying a lot. Those couple months of reset made me realize I had a lot of work to do.
When I started practice, I had to work from the ground up again. I wasn't practicing with the starters anymore. But, I've always kind of been a chameleon. I comfortably fit in with any crowd you throw me in, and there isn't a group I don't hang out with. I think it is because what you see is what you get with me – I am very genuine, I stay true to who I am and who my mom raised me to be. I believe a good leader sets the standard for every other guy in the locker room by doing the right thing day in and day out, and showing up every day, consistently. I try to do all the little things right, so the other guys see that. Because I was voted a captain and a leader on the team, I've further committed to the main things we're working to accomplish here.
No one ever plays the perfect game. I make my share of mistakes, but every time I go out on the field, I just hope I can showcase the abilities and talents God has given me. At the end of the day, football is just a game, but I do not take for granted the blessing I have to keep playing it. I embrace all the good moments, work hard every day, and stay humble.
When I was deciding on colleges in high school, I looked at a lot of factors – like the city where I was going to be for the next four years. But as I entered the transfer portal from Texas, I was thinking of nothing but football. TCU gave me another chance. When I was at Texas, I stopped loving the game. I struggled to grow up. I wasn't worried about the right things. I was surrounded by distractions, and I was ready to be done with football. But after I transferred here last year, the coaches and my teammates made me fall in love with the game all over again. I owe TCU, at the bare minimum, everything I've got every week. I cannot describe the gratitude I have for this community that saved me from a lot of wrong decisions, and helped me slow down my life.
It is easy to feel invincible as a D1 football player, but something always happens to bring you back down to earth. Right after I came to TCU, I was greatly humbled by having to get back surgery. The time off made me reflect on how I got to this point, how to grow and mature as a person, and who I was when I wasn't playing football. I leaned a lot on my family, and on the friends who welcomed me with open arms over the short couple of months I had called Fort Worth home. And I started praying a lot. Those couple months of reset made me realize I had a lot of work to do.
When I started practice, I had to work from the ground up again. I wasn't practicing with the starters anymore. But, I've always kind of been a chameleon. I comfortably fit in with any crowd you throw me in, and there isn't a group I don't hang out with. I think it is because what you see is what you get with me – I am very genuine, I stay true to who I am and who my mom raised me to be. I believe a good leader sets the standard for every other guy in the locker room by doing the right thing day in and day out, and showing up every day, consistently. I try to do all the little things right, so the other guys see that. Because I was voted a captain and a leader on the team, I've further committed to the main things we're working to accomplish here.
No one ever plays the perfect game. I make my share of mistakes, but every time I go out on the field, I just hope I can showcase the abilities and talents God has given me. At the end of the day, football is just a game, but I do not take for granted the blessing I have to keep playing it. I embrace all the good moments, work hard every day, and stay humble.
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