Jacob Park giving glimpse into the future as Iowa State quarterback

AMES - The U.S. Army All-American quarterback jacket Jacob Park wears tells a story of an accomplished past.

Now almost through his first season with the Iowa State football team, the sophomore is starting to recreate a bit of that success he enjoyed as a highly touted high school signal caller.

Park's last four games have all been glimpses into what the future holds for the Cyclones.

'He's a very confident guy,” said offensive coordinator Tom Manning. 'He's a very intelligent kid and I think he's fun to be around. He's his own guy and I think you've got to love him for it. He's his own person and his own leader.”

In the last four games, Park is 69-for-108 passing (63.8 percent) for 951 yards, eight touchdowns and two interceptions. The 6-foot-4, 205-pound quarterback has started two of the four games, and has gradually worked back to where he was at the end of his prep career.

As a senior in Charleston, S.C., Park originally signed with Georgia as a consensus four-star recruit, was a U.S. Army All-American in 2014, ESPN Elite 11 member and the 2013 South Carolina Mr. Football. He transferred after his redshirt season at Georgia in 2014 and attended Northeastern Oklahoma A&M - where he didn't play football - before arriving at Iowa State.

Park missed parts of fall camp with an illness, and said it took him a few weeks before he started to understand what it takes at the college level to be a successful quarterback.

'In the beginning my habits weren't elite,” Park said. 'Now I'm in here some mornings, the majority of the mornings when we don't have class and I'm not lifting weights, I'm up here at 6 o'clock with the offensive staff in the meeting room watching film with the coaches while they're putting in the game plan.

'With Coach (Matt) Campbell, if I'm not up here, my phone is ringing and he's asking me where I'm at. Him in my ear is a big help.”

Against Texas Tech, Park's 14-for-18 passing for 285 yards and two touchdowns was perhaps the biggest asset to Lanning's big day on the ground. The sophomore was able to spread out the defense with his throws, particularly on the one-handed touchdown catch by Allen Lazard.

'Some of those throws he made in the first half of the game were as good as I've seen or been around to be honest with you, some of those back shoulder throws to get the ball out in space, etc.,” Campbell said. 'Those are tight throws and he's really got the ability to do some of that.”

From Lazard's viewpoint, only Park could get away with throwing that kind of ball.

'He's just a gunslinger. He just lets it all hang out,” Lazard said with a smile. 'We just have a good relationship when it comes to our passing game. He trusts me and I trust him. He threw it up, and he knew I would make the play or at least knows that if I'm not making it then no one is.”

Park's evolution as a reliable college quarterback hasn't happened overnight, but once it started to take shape, it's a weapon the Cyclones (3-8, 2-6) have relied on heavily. And whatever expectations anybody else might have for Park won't ever match what he expects from himself.

'The thought process I had coming into this year was that I was going to be a Heisman (Trophy) candidate,” Park said. 'I still hold myself to that. I want to be the best of the best. That's just a simple fact.”

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