FOOTBALL ACROSS MINNESOTA | Week 6

LAGUNA BEACH, CALIF. – Jackson Kollock walks into the football coaches’ office, an hour after the school day ended, carrying bags of sandwiches from a local shop. The star quarterback at Laguna Beach High delivers off the field, too. In this case, he picks up the pregame meal for coaches and teammates.

Kollock, a Gophers commit, has been rehabbing a minor arm injury leading up to Friday’s home game. Some wonder if the senior will be able to play. That was never a question in his mind. Coaches still marvel at the time last year when Kollock played in a 7-on-7 event with a broken throwing hand because he refused to miss a chance to prove himself against California’s best talent.

Back in the office, coach John Shanahan double-checks to make sure Kollock feels OK to play and then goes over the game plan. Kollock gives the same respectful response to every coaching point: “Yes, coach.”

Laguna Beach coaches and school administrators alike rave about Kollock’s work ethic, character and leadership.

Kollock’s motivation to be a role model is personal. He wears it in eye black on his cheek: the initials “CR.”

He plays to honor his sister Catalina Raine, who died of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) — defined as the death of a child of less than one year of age that remains unexplained even after a thorough autopsy and detailed death scene investigation. — in 2017. Catalina was 32 days old. Jackson had turned 12.

“I couldn’t be who I am today without her,” he said. “She definitely taught me a lot about how precious every second is. I think that’s where my work ethic comes from. Football has turned into an escape. It allows me to get out all my emotions. It’s a safe place for me.”