Wesley jumps from scout team to ‘heat of the moment’

AMES - Clutching his playbook as he walked into the Jacobson Athletic Building on Tuesday night, Jauan Wesley's focus had shifted quite a bit from where it was a week ago.

The true freshman wide receiver was on the scout team for the Iowa State football team, helping the starters get ready for the game against Baylor. When fellow receiver Brett Medders went down with a torn ACL, though, Wesley got a call from coaches just two days before the game - he would be playing Saturday night.

'I was thrown into the heat of the moment,” Wesley said. 'I learned a couple plays, came in early and learned a couple plays and adjusted to it very well for my first time since Thursday.”

Wesley expected to red-shirt his initial season at Iowa State in order to add more weight to his 5-foot-11, 177-pound frame. Coach Paul Rhoads expected that to be the case, too, but when injuries hit the receivers hard, plans changed.

'When Brett went down, it was ‘Get (Wesley) ready and get him going,'” Rhoads said.

In between going to classes and calling family and friends to tell them he'd be playing Saturday, Wesley continued to immerse himself in the ISU playbook.

When game day arrived, Wesley got reps, but did not record any catches. Offensive coordinator Mark Mangino said Wesley was coached from the bench quite a bit during the game, but now he'll only get better.

'One side of you says ‘I get to play!' and the other side is ‘Oh man, I've got to play?' It depends on the kid, and when you take Jauan's attitude, he was as happy as could be,” Mangino said. 'He was a little jittery before the game and I know that (receivers coach) Tommy (Mangino) went over and talked to him a little bit and got him settled down, but after a few plays he felt like ‘Yeah I can do this.'”

Iowa State now has four true freshmen receiving playing time - Wesley, running back Martinez Syria, punter Colin Downing and receiver Allen Lazard. Wesley realizes all of the freshmen, including himself, need to be ready whenever their number is called.

Since Saturday's game, Wesley has seen the game slow down a little bit more and he has time to learn and react to what is happening on the field. After he finishes his schoolwork, Wesley treats that playbook he was holding on Tuesday night as his second homework.

'Now that I know (the plays),” Wesley said, 'I'm in here so I guess I've got to play now.”