Jake Russell with his parents, Kim and Todd Russell, and sister, Kasey.
GLEN RIDGE, NJ — Glen Ridge High School senior Jake Russell signed a national letter of intent in accepting a football scholarship to Valparaiso University in Indiana.
Russell was honored during a ceremony at GRHS on Wednesday, Feb. 1. Among those in attendance were his parents, Kim and Todd Russell; his sister, Kasey. who is in the eighth grade; GRHS head football coach Manj Singh; assistant football coach and offensive coordinator Chris Ferrara; teammates and friends.
In an in-person interview with the Glen Ridge Paper prior to the ceremony, Russell, an offensive lineman, spoke about his decision to continue his career at Valparaiso. He and his family lived in Indiana before they moved to Glen Ridge when he was 4.
“The guys that recruited me were great,” Russell said. “They have a really good engineering program, that’s what I’m looking for, that’s what I wanted to go to school for. My family were originally from the Midwest, so we were looking to come back out.”
Singh, who completed his first season at the Ridgers helm last fall, said Russell is the first GRHS lineman in 40 years to accept a football scholarship to a Division 1 university.
“He’s definitely a rare breed, being the first lineman from Glen Ridge in 40 years to go to a Division I school,” said Singh to the Glen Ridge Paper prior to the ceremony. “This is very special.”
Singh praised Russell’s work ethic.
“Waking up 5 in the morning every day during the season, hitting the gym with myself, maintaining a 4.1 GPA, going to practice, never complaining, being the last one to finish and being the first one at practice, that’s being a leader,” said Singh of Russell. “That’s what makes a player like him special.”
Russell said Singh has been a big influence to him.
“Coach Manj has been a part of my life, even the four short months that we spent together,” Russell said. “He has really impacted me, just pushing me (to do well), getting up at 5 a.m., we’re grinding. He’s basically almost a father figure to me.”
Russell, who is 6-foot-3, 280 pounds, said he will either play offensive tackle or guard at Valparaiso. His goal is to get much playing time, whether it’s as a starter or on special teams.
Indeed, he is looking forward to his collegiate career.
“With the new additions we have in this recruiting class, I think we’re going to really excel,” Russell said.
Russell, who started playing football with the Glen Ridge Red Dogs youth program when he was in the third grade, has fond memories of his days for the Ridgers. The Ridgers capped the 2022 campaign by capturing the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association’s North Jersey, Group 1 regional invitational tournament title, winning their last three games to finish with a 5-5 record.
“It was great,” said Russell of his GRHS career. “It was an experience. It flew by, most certainly. I will cherish it and I love my experience and I love dominating on the field.”
Photos Courtesy of Joe Ragozzno
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