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Doyle plots path to growth with Pirates
By
Sammy Batten
©2015 Bonesville.net
All rights reserved.
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Some recruiters thought Jack Doyle
lacked the weight to handle an offensive line position at the college
level.
But not East Carolina offensive line
coach Brad Davis.
“He told me he's made a living with
guys like me,'' Doyle said. “Guys with heart and tenacity and who are
willing to do whatever it takes.''
The assessment by Davis paid off for
the Pirates on October 28 when Doyle became the 14th player to make a
verbal commitment to ECU's recruiting Class of 2016. ECU was the first
major program to offer the 6-foot-6, 240-pounder who completed his prep
football career at Heritage High in Wake Forest last Friday in a
first-round state playoff loss against Fayetteville's Jack Britt.
N.C. State and Wake Forest had also
expressed interest in Doyle, but it was Davis who made the call to offer
a scholarship on October 23.
“Getting that call was like a dream
come true,'' Doyle said. “Coach Davis showed a lot of faith in me. He
saw the potential. It makes me want to work that much harder to prove he
was right to take a chance on me.''
Like some other coaches, Davis did
initially express concerns about Doyle's slight build, which resembled a
basketball player more than a football offensive lineman early in his
varsity career. But a look at Doyle's family history softened those
concerns for Davis.
Doyle's father, Mike, is a former
college head coach at Ellsworth Community College and also served as an
assistant at San Francisco State and Iowa State. He currently is the
offensive line coach as well as the strength and conditioning
coordinator at Heritage High where his son plays.
Older brother Ryan Doyle is a senior
offensive tackle at the University of Maryland where he's been a starter
since his sophomore season. Like Jack, Ryan was on the slender side in
high school but has matured into a hefty 6-4, 307-pounder in college.
“My dad and my brother have had a lot
of influence on me,'' Jack Doyle said. “My dad has been coaching me
since recreation ball. I talk to my brother all the time and he's always
giving me tips and trying to help me get better. They both are always
encouraging me.
“When people would tell me I was too
small to play in college I'd tell them to look at my brother. He hit a
growth spurt and look at him now. I can see myself developing in a
similar way.''
The lack of size caused Doyle to work
even harder at blocking skills. His intensity, plus the knowledge
imparted on him by his father and brother, has helped Doyle become a
strong technician.
Doyle used those talents to make the
Heritage varsity as a sophomore and to earn first-team All-Cap Eight 4-A
Conference during his junior season. The quarterback on the All-Cap
Eight team that season was
Millbrook
quarterback Reid Herring, who Doyle joins in
ECU's recruiting Class of 2016.
Along with the tutelage from his
father, Doyle has received plenty of first-class coaching at Heritage
this season. His first-year head coach is former N.C. State and National
Football League cornerback Dewayne Washington. Washington was the 18th
overall pick in the 1994 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings and had 31
career interceptions in 11 pro seasons.
Helping Washington coach the Heritage
wide receivers is ex-N.C. State All-American and NFL All-Pro receiver
Torry Holt.
Washington said Doyle was dominant as
a blocker during his senior season.
“He made too many pancake blocks to
count,'' Washington said. “He just tries to maul the defensive linemen
every time he gets a chance. I remember one game one of my coaches told
me, 'Jack had 11 pancake blocks.' I said, 'No way. But we went back and
checked the tape and that's exactly what he had.
“I tell you, I'm very excited for his
future.''
The ECU coaching staff has suggested
center as a possible future position for Doyle, but he could wind up
anywhere. The Pirates have already received verbal commitments from two
other offensive linemen – Chesapeake, VA, tackle
Justin Chase
and Saluda, SC, guard
Cortez
Herrin.
Signing offensive linemen was
expected to be a priority for the Pirates during his recruiting cycle
since they're expected to lose at least four players from this year's
depth chart to graduation. Those players include starting left tackle
Ike Harris, his backup Stewart Hinson, backup left guard Quincy McKinney
and starting center C.J. Struyk. Also departing will be Tre Robertson
and Dontae Levingston, who have both started games for the Pirates.
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11/18/2015 01:43 AM |
