AUBURN, Ala. – For senior running back Jacob Jasinski, playing football at Auburn was the perfect addition to an already promising college experience on the Plains.
Growing up in Birmingham, Jasinski knew he wanted to attend Auburn from a young age. He played both football and lacrosse at Oak Mountain High School. While playing linebacker for the Eagles, he quickly decided he wanted to compete in football at the next level.
"The football and campus aspect really drew me into Auburn," Jasinski said. "I was really interested in aviation and I knew that Auburn had a great program. I started playing football in my junior and senior year of high school and I had already planned on going to Auburn for aviation, so I just decided to try and walk on to the Auburn football team."
As a newcomer to the sport at the college level, Jasinski was not fazed by the steep learning curve. Advice and encouragement from players who had walked on before motivated him even more.
"I was a little nervous but very excited to walk on at Auburn," he said. "I actually stayed home for a year and a half after I graduated high school. I got my pilot degree in Pell City while I worked out and did position work every day just to get some repetition in for tryouts.
"I had friends at Auburn who had walked on before me and they told me what to expect. I did things based on what I was told what it was going to look like."
Jasinski's efforts paid off. After preparing for tryouts, he secured a spot in 2018 with the Auburn Tigers as a redshirt freshman. From there, he spent time getting to know the team and soaking in all that SEC football had to offer.
Jasinski and his teammates quickly formed a tight bond of friendship.
"The locker room was probably the best part of getting to know my teammates," he said. "They made coming to practice and workouts more enjoyable. We spend a lot of time together. There is a lot of dancing and yelling that happens between guys."
Throughout all of his experiences at Auburn, the 2019 Iron Bowl in Jordan-Hare Stadium stands out as his favorite memory. As fans and classmates cheered from the stands, Jasinski was finally on the field.
"My most memorable moment at Auburn would be winning the Iron Bowl in 2019," he said. "I was on the sidelines and I think I hugged Craig Carter first. Being a part of that is a great memory that I will have forever."
Just as he began to find his bearings within the football program, the pandemic put a halt to everyday life. For an outgoing person like Jasinski, the pandemic created a multitude of challenges, specifically when it came to his social life.
"The social aspect of school and just life in general got a lot harder for me," he said. "I had to be disciplined to not go out and really just try to stay away from big crowds. It was pretty tough."
After following precautions and staying healthy, Jasinski is ready to return to the field for his final season as an Auburn Tiger.
"My goal for this season is to graduate this December and get all A's in my two remaining classes," he said. "I also want to help the team out in any way that I can and do my job."
With the new coaching staff this year, Jasinski is excited about the attitude of the team and the chance to compete day in and day out.
"There is definitely a new mentality with the change in coaching staff and I think it has been a good change of pace and culture on the team for sure," he said. "It has not been hard adjusting to the new staff and we are all on the same page."
Jasinski values the special relationships he has created at Auburn, and how much he will miss them after graduation.
"I've met some really great people here on the team but also around campus," he said. "I will miss seeing them a lot, but I know that we will always have each other's backs."
Setting his sights on the future, Jasinski hopes to use his degree in aviation to join the National Guard. He believes the tools given to him as a student-athlete have positively impacted his professional and personal career goals.
"Once I get enough flight hours, I want to go and get a job with FedEx," he said.
While getting flight hours, Jasinski has taken some memorable trips gaining experience in the air. "I got to fly up to Ohio to go see my brother a couple years ago, which was pretty cool," he said.
Jasinski appreciates all of the people who have believed in him and have supported him throughout his journey.
"Thanks to my mom, dad, and Coach Cadillac (Williams) for helping me get here and giving me an opportunity to be on this team," he said. "War Eagle and thank you, Auburn Family."
Madison Larson is a student worker in Auburn Athletics media relations
