reprinted with permission from Oct. 10 edition
Oct. 11, 2001
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - Western Kentucky University cornerback Joseph Jefferson freely admits the term "student-athlete" didn't originally apply to him.
"I wasn't too fond of going to class," Jefferson said.
While his original distaste for academics never put the former Logan County High School star on academic probation or in serious jeopardy, Jefferson's hobby during his freshman year wasn't studying.
Instead, when Jefferson arrived at WKU in 1998 he was completely concerned about football.
Jefferson did have a terrific first season. As a true freshman, he earned nine starts and was fourth on the team with 58 tackles.
But as the clich? goes, "Numbers don't tell the whole story."
"Coaches got on me all the time to pay attention to my education," Jefferson said. "They told me I had to stick with it or else."
Said WKU coach Jack Harbaugh: "I don't think he thought much about being a college graduate. That was probably on the back burner. I knew he always wanted to be an athlete."
What changed Jefferson was a reality check about the long-term risks of being an athlete.
Jefferson tore cartilage in his knee as a sophomore and missed a pair of games. When out with the knee injury, Jefferson was awakened to the benefits of school.
"It really scared me," Jefferson said. "That's when I realized that football might not always be there. I was getting this free education and I needed to take advantage of it."
Now a senior, Jefferson has the respect of his WKU teammates and coaching staff.
He's transformed from a freshman who didn't have his priorities in line to an admired senior.
And Harbaugh is grateful to see the transition.
"I say this on occasion - Joseph Jefferson is a reason that you coach," Harbaugh said. "The guy comes in and he's not real sure about the education part of it or how badly he wants to go to school.
"But you watch him grow. You watch him grow as a student, athlete and as a person. He's one of our finest leaders now. When Joe Jefferson talks, everybody listens."
As Jefferson has grown off the football field, his football career has continued to blossom as well.
Last season as a junior, he earned honorable mention All-America and second-team all Ohio Valley Conference honors. This year Jefferson was rated eighth among the top 10 corner backs in I-AA football according to The Sports Network.
Along with Jefferson's corner duties, he is a valuable member of the WKU special teams.
Last season he was ranked 16th nationally in punt returns and was expecting to be a standout on special teams this season.
Before Saturday's game against Elon, Jefferson's punt returns weren't exactly special. He did return five punts for 70 yards against Kentucky State, but otherwise had unspectacular special teams games.
But last Saturday against Elon, Jefferson returned four punts for 77 yards, including a punt return of 32 yards. Jefferson also returned a kickoff for 47 yards, which contributed in Jefferson being named the Gateway Conference special teams Player of the Week.
"It was a breakout game for him," Harbaugh said. "I saw some things last year that I really hadn't seen in the first part of the season on the special teams.
"It's like a jar of olives. You can open a fresh jar of olives, turn them over and those olives are just packed in so deep that you can't shake them out of there. But if you have them turned over and pull one olive out, the rest of them come out. It only needs one to make it all easier."
According to Jefferson, the Hilltoppers have changed their special teams philosophy and it has taken him some time to get used to.
Last season WKU ran punts to either side of the field. Not anymore.
"Just get it and go," Jefferson said. "I had a lot of confidence in it and trusted it. I knew (last Saturday's performance) would eventually happen and I just had to be patient."
