MANY ARE THE STORIES of preps who are combination track & field and football athletes, then wind up gravitating toward just the latter in college, due what they believe are greater opportunities and rewards.
Then there are the select few who start out on the gridiron only to magically discover previously unmanifested running, jumping or throwing talent that opens up a whole new world.
So it was, on a winter day in Tallahassee in early 2023, that Chiles HS 10th-grader (and tight end) Jake Atwood first met up with what would be his athletic destiny.
“My [high school] freshman year, it was just football, football, football,” the Florida State frosh recalled with a wry grin. “I honestly didn’t know what the discus was until about January of my sophomore year. Then one cold Saturday, I came out and threw a discus and I guess my offensive coordinator — who was also my throwing coach [John Hernandez] — liked what he saw, and it kind of skyrocketed from there.”
Atwood threw about 100 feet from a standing position that day. He joined Chiles’ T&F squad and about three months later, after improving in big chunks all spring, he took 4th in his state meet with 156-8. A year later, and just 15 months into life as a thrower he became Florida 4A state champ with a 195-9 PR at the time that caught the fancy of new Seminole assistant Luke Bryant.
That spring, Atwood pretty much said goodbye to football. “When I threw 183 [in an early ‘24 meet] is about when I realized I should probably put the football down and pursue track a little more,” he admitted. He loved being able to push himself in a different way, measure his success by the work he put in and being able to control his outcome. “I was having a blast with it.”
Meanwhile, Bryant was putting together a list of recruits to look at and realized there was Atwood, right in his backyard. “I thought, OK, let’s do a little more research,” he recalled. “Then I saw he moved really well in the ring, has got the size [6-4/225 at the time] and that he was really talented.”
As soon as Bryant was able to reach out to Atwood, he realized what he really had. “I’m like, ‘So you threw 195 in just 15 months,’ and it got me really excited, because Jake’s potential is extremely high. He’s played football, he’s played soccer [goalie] and I think the athleticism and the movements are very transferable.
“I thought, he’s gonna really pop one off his senior year… and I was like, let’s keep him at home; I don’t want too many other schools finding out about him!”
Little did they know what would transpire in the spring of ‘25.
Atwood opened with 206-3 in the Chiles Relays, closing in on his goal of breaking Jacob Lemmon’s Florida state record (209-6). Then six weeks later he stepped into the ring at the FSU Relays in his soon-to-be new home at Mike Long Track and unleashed a 216-7.
“[216-7] wasn’t quite expected, but [a state record] was the goal, for sure,” he said. “To hit it at Florida State was pretty special, especially with Coach Bryant watching.”
The coach agreed, and added, “I remember Jake had a warmup at about 224, 225. I was out in the sector. I’m like, I’m not gonna say anything to him. I didn’t want him to freak out and tighten up. But after the meet I said, ‘Hey, you got a warmup even further.’ I hope that instilled in him some belief that, hey, you can do some great things in the sport.”
Of course, Atwood eventually threw 225-4 at his region meet, but his prep finale was less than he hoped. During a rainy Nike Nationals weekend in Eugene, Atwood fouled five times and settled for 3rd with 203-8.
What did he learn? “It’s never guaranteed. I came in seeded first by about 7 feet, but at the end of the day, you gotta get it done on the day… as Coach Bryant likes to say. There was some unexpected weather, which I was not prepared for, and I learned no matter the conditions, no matter the people, no matter what it is, you have to adapt.”
Now in his new home, Atwood can look up at his mentor, a 2007 Pan Am U20 champ and NCAA 3rd-place finisher at Oklahoma, among other accomplishments, and see a kindred spirit. “Coach Bryant’s been where I want to be. He knows what it takes, how much effort you have to put in.”
He’s hoping he can hit 60 meters (196-10) with the heavier platter, place top 3 in ACCs — “and beat my teammate Shamar [Reid]” — and “then eventually, try to score at NCAAs.”
“I think what stood out with Jake during the recruiting process was he had a passion for throwing and is a very hard worker,” said Bryant. “Then the most important thing that I look for in recruits is high-character people — and he comes from a good family. I think Jake can be one of the cornerstones for the program. It’s gonna be an exciting future and I’m excited to work together with him.”
