SAN ANGELO, Texas — From a Central Bobcat to now an Angelo State Ram, senior Jacob English has worked hard his whole life to continue his athletic career at the collegiate level. But as his time comes to a close as a Bobcat, English reflects on the last few years as a Central athlete and the coaches and teammates who made him into the athlete he is today.

“I’ve learned to always push through no matter how hard it’s going to get, push through adversity, and just be resilient to any type of conditions that may happen. I wasn’t going to be doing any of the things that I am known for if my friends and some coaches didn’t tell me to go try out for them, so I just have to thank those guys who got me into them,” said Jacob English.

But before English joins the nationally ranked Angelo State track and field team in the fall, he has a jam-packed summer, focusing on staying in shape and being with his family.

“Lifting and working out, trying to get in better shape, then I have an All-Star game for basketball coming up and other than that, I’ll probably be with my family,” said English.

Now, college is a big step for any student coming out of high school and can sometimes be a little bit intimidating. But for Jacob, being able to stay close to home with his family, alongside some of the guys he grew up playing with, makes the transition just a little bit easier.

“It means a lot to me because I am able to just be at home with my family and the friends that I grew up with that are staying here, and then I can always go to the games because they might just be here or it might be in Abilene, so it won’t be a far trip for me,” said English.

But for the soon-to-be high school graduate, the best thing about going to Angelo State is being able to stay close to those he loves.

“I’m a very, I love people who are close to me so much and I feel like it’s just going to be a great experience for all three of us,” said English. “All being here with each other and we’re just going to have a great time at ASU.”