Iowa State quarterback Jacob Park: ‘It’s going to be night and day’

AMES — Day after day, the images flickered across the screen.

Jacob Park plopped himself into a chair inside the Iowa State football practice facility, scouring as much game film as he could. For hours on end he sat there, absorbing everything possible from his quick first season in Ames.

'I watched the whole season last year, I think each game, three or four times, then other film other than that,' Park said. 'I couldn't even tell you how many clips I've watched. I don't even know if I want to know that answer.'

Teammates were all witness to it.

'He spent more time (in the practice facility this offseason) than he ever has in there,' backup quarterback Zeb Noland said. 'I was a witness to that and he's done a good job embracing his role as a team player and as a leader and just getting better each day.'

The 21-year-old Park relied more on talent last season than the offseason months. Part of that was circumstance. Part of it was just how things had always been. Stints at Georgia, Trident Technical College and Northeastern Oklahoma A&M came and went without Park ever stepping on the field in a game.

Park arrived in Ames last summer after spring practices and missed two weeks of fall camp with the mumps. He played behind Joel Lanning most of the season, but emerged as the primary quarterback the last five games in 2016. Park enters 2017 more seasoned, and with a new perspective.

'It's really not even close,' quarterbacks coach Jim Hofher said. 'It's incredibly night and day from a guy who was learning the words, learning the language, starting to learn his teammates, not getting all the reps that he clearly began to earn and is not even the same guy really that finished the season.

'He's put a tremendous amount of work into his preparation, his mental preparation, his physical preparation and he's been playing terrific football.'

Park, a 6-foot-4 and 210-pound junior from Charleston, S.C., led the team in passing yards (1,791) and was 133-of-226 through the air while throwing 12 touchdowns against five interceptions while in a dual-quarterback system. Lanning's move to linebacker has given Park the keys to the offense, and he approached the offseason with that responsibility in mind.

Growing up, Park was an aggressive quarterback. Think Tim Tebow, not Aaron Rodgers. As he's matured — at the urging of Iowa State Coach Matt Campbell — Park has brought a sense of calmness into his play. He doesn't meditate, but does incorporate some breathing exercises into his preparation.

'Mind my mind, knowledge of the game, thought process and knowing what I'm supposed to be doing, that's probably the biggest thing that's changed. Nothing physical,' Park said. 'I still throw the ball the same as I did then, but as far as what I think about and how I go through the process of being preparing for practice, that's the biggest thing.'

Park, who became a father this offseason, was a consensus four-star recruit out of high school and an ESPN Elite 11 participant. Talent has never been the issue. Now that the preparation part of playing quarterback is catching up to the talent, Park is capable of leading what could be the most potent ISU offense in recent memory.

'His ability level is as high as any quarterback that I've had the ability to coach,' Campbell said. 'He's got elite arm strike. He's got the ability to make all the throws. He's elusive. He can create and move in the pocket; all those things you want from a quarterback. There's a guy that really feels comfortable in what he's doing offensively.

'We're excited about Jacob.'

The Big 12 is a quarterback league. Oklahoma's Baker Mayfield and Oklahoma State's Mason Rudolph headline the class. West Virginia's Will Grier, TCU's Kenny Hill, Kansas State's Jesse Ertz and Texas' Shane Buechele all command their offenses.

Although Park doesn't compare himself to any of his conference counterparts, he said he's capable of making some noise in the league, too. He and his brother think he's capable of 36 passing touchdowns, five interceptions and 4,000 passing yards. If that comes to fruition, it will be the best season for an ISU quarterback since Seneca Wallace played 15 years ago.

'It's going to be night and day,' Park said. 'It really is.'

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