Seriousness of Purpose

Not if you seek meaning. Not if you seek fulfillment. Certainly not if you seek excellence.

 

Folks, meet Jack Callaghan, a Collegiate School Junior who’s beginning his second football season as the Cougars’ starting quarterback.

 

A 6-2, 210-pound strong-armed righthander, Callaghan is a two-sport athlete, who even with his innate ability leaves nothing to chance in his unwavering quest to be the best possible version of himself and to serve his teammates with aplomb and distinction.

 

“Jack is all football,” said Collin McConaghy, the Cougars’ first-year head coach. “He’s a 24/7 kid (because) he’s bought into what we call our Big Four: exercise, nutrition, mindfulness, and sleep as the primary recovery tool.

 

“He works with a quarterback coach who’s done a great job with him. We asked Jack to make the weight room a priority this off-season. He absolutely did and put on about 15 to 20 pounds of muscle.

 

“We’ve been meeting with him since December talking about our offense and different progressions. He dove in head-first. He’s met with the receivers and gotten his throws in.

 

“It’s awesome to work with a kid who takes everything that seriously and puts in that much work outside of (regular practice sessions). I couldn’t be more excited for him and what’s coming in the future.”

 

Callaghan, a Collegiate lifer, grew up playing football in the Kanawha Youth Football Program and baseball in the Tuckahoe Little League.

 

He began his football journey first as a center and later as a tight end and linebacker. Though he enjoyed the experience and gave his all, he always dreamed of playing quarterback. That opportunity finally came in the COVID fall (2020) when teams practiced under social distancing guidelines but didn’t play games.

 

“I was a third string on the JV,” he said. “I was getting used to being a quarterback and trying to figure it out. That’s when my passion for football really came along.”

 

It was also when he began working with Malcolm Bell of Undefeated Quarterback Training to hone his skills.

 

“He takes us through a lot of scenarios that we’ll use in games,” Callaghan said. “He also works on mechanics so you can use your body the best you can. I’ve had to do (drills) on my own that no one saw. It’s been a daily process. Now, it’s cool to look back and see where I started and how far I’ve come from there.”

 

In his first sophomore year (2021), he backed up senior Owen Fallon, who now plays for Denison University.

 

“Owen was a great mentor,” said Callaghan, who reclassified after the 2021-2022 term. “He really took me under his wing and taught me how to be a quarterback and a leader. He was like a big brother to me. My understanding of football is far better because of him.”

 

He saw action mostly as a closer. Then, his trial-by-fire introduction to the speed, intensity, and physicality of the game came in the season finale against St. Christopher’s when Fallon exited with an injury midway through the third quarter.

 

The Cougars fell 48-14, but Callaghan threw his first career touchdown pass.

 

“To Jalen Pierce on a post route,” he said, as if visualizing the moment. “It’s something I’ll never forget.”

 

In his first game as a starter last fall, Callaghan lit up Goochland (26-for-45 for 410 yards and two touchdowns) in a 19-7 victory. He finished the year with 1,831 yards and 16 touchdown passes.

Once the season ended, he doubled down on his training, then in the spring shifted his focus to baseball, played an integral role as a first-baseman in the Cougars' 21-4-1 season, and earned All-Prep League honors thanks to his impressive ledger: .324 batting average, .479 on-base percentage, six doubles, four home runs, 19 runs batted in, 28 runs scored, and 12 stolen bases.

 

Then came the summer. With seriousness of purpose, he threw regularly, continued working with Bell, did speed training at Onyx Elite, and remained a regular in Collegiate’s sports performance center.

 

“I tried to work out five to six times a week and do some running four times a week to keep in shape,” he said of his off-season regimen. “I did the workouts with the school, but I also went with some of my buddies and ran sprints (of 20, 40, and 60 yards) to work on my top speed and endurance because that’s what I’ll need on the football field.”

 

He’s also diligently and intentionally addressed the mental aspects of managing a high-pressure, high-expectation, high-risk position in which quick decision-making is paramount and the margin for error is often razor-thin.

 

For a couple of years, McConaghy, a co-founder of the Peavey Project, has guided him through mindfulness practices designed to facilitate maintaining composure under pressure and keeping distractions at arm’s length.

 

“Mindfulness is definitely a key,” Callaghan said. “It definitely helps me focus on my breath, be present in the moment, and move on from the last play. My focus in the off-season was working on my mind to become more cool, calm, and collected.”

 

That said, all eyes are on the quarterback. Callaghan welcomes the challenges.

 

“I used my teammates to surround me,” said Callaghan, who serves as a captain with Jack Ferry, L.J. Booker, and Warner Lewis. “They’re my best friends. We all try to keep our energy up. They have my back. I have their backs. It’s trust, knowing that if I make a mistake, we’ll get it back next time. Let’s just focus on the next drive and keep moving forward.  It’s staying positive in those moments. That’s what will keep us going in games, which is definitely very helpful for our team.”

 

This past summer, Callaghan attended camps at Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, Old Dominion, Maryland and South Carolina. He’s drawing interest from recruiters and has received one offer and made an unofficial visit to Western Michigan, a Division I signatory in the Mid-American Conference.

 

“Junior season is big,” he said, “but I’m just trying to focus on the season and not let (the recruiting process) be an add-on stress. The game’s supposed to be fun, so I try to (minimize) the stress.”

What’s the toughest part of playing quarterback? I asked him.

 

“The mental side, honestly,” he replied. “That’s why I work on it so much. One of my goals is to be mentally strong and be present in the moment and not let any outside noise get in my head.”

 

 

“There’s nothing easy about a quarterback,” he said. “You have to put a lot of time into it, whether it’s learning the playbook or knowing everyone’s job on every single play. You have to lead your teammates and make sure everyone’s holding everybody accountable. There’s nothing easy about playing the position, but it’s definitely a lot of fun.”

~Weldon Bradshaw