Former Kearney Bulldog wide receiver, Jacob Stevens is finding creative ways to prepare for the next level of his football career at Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas this fall.

Stevens was a 2019 all-conference selection his senior year gaining 800 all-purpose yards and six touchdowns. He was named all-conference, all-district and all-state his junior year with 980 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns.

“Covid has really affected my involvement with Washburn so far,” the 6’-3” 185-pound athlete said. “I was actually supposed to report to Washburn on July 15th but that has been moved back twice now and the new plan is to move in on August 10th. I was hoping to have already been moved in by now and getting used to the Washburn way, with all the lifting and practices on campus.”

Games won’t begin for Washburn or the other MIAA schools until the week of September 28, with practices delayed until the week of August 31.

*JACOB STEVENS, FRESHMAN WR - WASHBURN ICHABODS*

“Washburn had actually sent me a workout plan for each month leading up to the original reporting day. This workout was specialized for me at the wide receiver position. They also sent me a meal plan to follow. Once things started shutting down like the (Kearney High School) gym and other non-essential businesses, they actually locked up the football field at the high school. So, I had to find other locations to train and workout,” Stevens said.

As a multi-sport athlete at Kearney High School, Stevens’ spring preparation for Ichabod fall football was sure to include other sports. “The Covid shutdown definitely affected my training, starting with cutting high school track and baseball short this year. I was hoping to get faster on the track and also placing at state,” says Stevens. “Baseball is a sport where it is very important to have good hand eye coordination which translates straight to the football field being a wide receiver. So that was definitely a bummer to find out both of those were canceled.”

Stevens adds, “I’m super thankful I have a weight-lifting set in my basement, or I would have fallen behind on the workout plan they gave me.”

The excitement and anticipation of Stevens’ college football career has been tempered with uncertainty. “The Washburn coaching staff has communicated very well through all of this pandemic. The MIAA has said that we can have our first practice August 31st. Covid has pushed back the first game of the season to October 3rd. The MIAA has shortened the season to just 7 games as of today. I understand all of the restrictions that have been put in place for Covid but it’s been very frustrating being an athlete and not being able to complete.”

KPGZ Sports – Mike Davis and Jackson Ogden contributed to this story.