Wauconda senior running back Jacob Hawley is finally playing without fear.
Hawley, who suffered a serious collarbone injury in each of his first three years, believes he turned the corner on a 67-yard run during the Bulldogs’ season opener against Hinsdale South on Aug. 30.
“Going into the season, I always had the fear in the back of my head,” he said. “But after our preseason scrimmages, I gained a lot of my confidence back.
“The first game, I was super nervous. But after breaking away for that long run on the first play, I kind of forgot about my injuries. After every hit I took throughout the first three games, I gained more and more confidence in myself.”
It’s probably not a coincidence that Hawley has emerged as one of the Bulldogs’ top offensive players. He ran for 119 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries and caught three passes for 45 yards during Wauconda’s 57-33 Northern Lake County Conference victory against Grayslake North last week, and he leads the team with 287 rushing yards.
Wauconda coach Chris Prostka is relieved to see Hawley, who also returns kickoffs, running carefree between the tackles rather than sitting on the sidelines.
“He made up his mind that football was something he wanted to do to finish out high school,” Prostka said. “We certainly wouldn’t have blamed him if he didn’t play, considering all that he’s gone through.”
“He’s not a captain, but he holds a leadership role on our team. He has great speed, and his football IQ is at another level.”
The Bulldogs (2-1, 1-0), who will play Round Lake on Friday, welcomed Hawley back with open arms.
“I was ecstatic to see Jacob return,” Wauconda senior quarterback Logan Olsen said. “To have such a powerful and great runner in our type of offense with the speed he has is incredible. Plus, his work ethic is unmatched. He’s also a great athlete.”
Wauconda junior fullback/linebacker Jackson Rudolph, who shares carries with Hawley and junior running back Cole Korycanek, agreed with Olsen.
“I was very happy (Hawley) returned because he was going to be a big part of our offense last year and he’s a bigger part of it this year,” Rudolph said. “He’s a very good runner because he doesn’t go away from contact. He follows his blocks to be able to get through easier and be able to break outside for long runs.”
Hawley said his collarbone injuries were cases of bad luck. As a freshman, he suffered a broken left collarbone while running a passing route during the first week of practice in full pads. He missed the entire season.
“I didn’t need surgery, but the healing process took awhile, and I lost 10 pounds,” Hawley said. “It took me three months to get back to my old self.”
Hawley then suffered a broken right collarbone early in his sophomore season but returned during the playoffs.
He said those injuries convinced him to put more work into a different sport. He is a three-year captain for Wauconda’s boys lacrosse team.
“I started really looking into lacrosse and played for a travel team,” he said. “I was debating if it was worth it to play a third year of football. My motivation was off. I was in my head all the time but decided to let it play out because I love football.”
Hawley didn’t get hurt during the preseason last year and called the Bulldogs’ season-opening win a special moment for his family.
“I was little scared and didn’t want to get injured,” he said. “It was an overall crazy experience. I finally got some playing time. I didn’t have great stats, but I had a couple of good runs. It boosted my confidence up.”
But Hawley suffered his third collarbone injury midway through last season on an accidental hit well after a play.
“I was so mad, defeated and sad,” he said. “I played four games and did good, and everything was coming back for me.”
Hawley has shown tremendous perseverance through it all, according to his father, Matt.
“We were in disbelief and completely heartbroken for Jacob,” Matt Hawley said. “We thought we wouldn’t see him on the football field again. But when Jacob said he wanted to play again, we were a bit shocked and nervous at the same time.
“We are still nervous every time he steps onto the field. But I can’t be more proud of his resiliency. I think it was a growth opportunity for Jacob. He learned how to handle adversity.”
Jacob Hawley said he’s taking it play by play.
“I knew the coaching staff saw my potential and I couldn’t let the team down,” he said. “I’ve learned the resiliency you need as an athlete. You can’t dwell on the past. You want to live to your max.
“I can’t wait to finish out this year, especially with our team looking solid, and hopefully we can get back to the second round of the playoffs.”
