Wisconsin-Whitewater Football led by Star WR Jake Kumerow

We take small-school football for granted, but the storylines are all around the country. If you’ll be taking a trip up to Wisconsin anytime soon, you might want to check out what WR Jake Kumerow is doing with the Wisconsin-Whitewater Football program.

The 6’5″, 205lb receiver is playing big when the lights come on, and notable NFL Draft-related folks are beginning to take notice. Kumerow already has 300+ yards and 4 TDs on the season (just three games in). Kumerow has nine catches in both of the Warhawks’ last two wins.

The D-III program has a rich athletics history, and it looks like the 2014 football season might be one to add to the record books around the region. They are currently 3-0, and are outscoring opponents 163-20 on a schedule that has already featured two road games (Franklin, College of New Jersey).

The program uses the social-media hashtag #PoweredByTradition, something that made a lot of sense when talking to Kumerow:

“We have a saying here and that’s ‘Pound the Rock’,” Kumerow said. “It’s not just running, but that’s the way we want to play on offense.” He also noted that “Pound the Rock” really relates to running the offense the way coach Lance Leipold wants them to – with speed, extreme tempo, and multiple variations.

Kumerow said that he’s confident the Warhawks can continue their success with the hard work they put in every day, and that’s due to the tight-knit group they have at UW-Whitewater. The senior receiver calls the group, “a true brotherhood”.

“We really have a family vibe here. We do some great things like the QB Club meetings [a UW-Whitewater tradition], something I was able to attend recently…We are very family-oriented,” he said.

The trust and family-feel is seemingly the reason the Warhawks are able to “Pound the Rock” on the field. Led by a balanced offensive attack, UW-Whitewater is looking to win the WIAC (Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) yet again. Thanks to guys like Kumerow, they’re able to have the chance to compete week after week.

Kumerow doesn’t like to look ahead to the NFL Draft too much. While he says it’s pretty neat to see his name popping up everywhere, he’s focused on the rest of his collegiate career at this point. We however will take a look at Jake’s game, giving you a quick rundown on what to expect from him as a prospect.

His size will help him moving forward, as will his above-average speed. He needs to prove he can run every route on the route tree. If he can have a good showing in individual workouts, he has a chance to be a strong late-round pick next Spring.