“Thank you, Mom and Dad” are the first words Jack said after realizing his dreams of playing at the University of Wisconsin became a reality.

“Wisconsin has always been a dream of mine,” Jack said sitting in awe as the image of 80,000 roaring fans inside of Camp Randall bolts to the front of his mind.

He admits nothing compares with Saturday morning game days in Madison.

Senior Jack Van Dyke ranks as the number 4 kicker and 20 punter in the nation according to Kohl’s Professional Camps.  

But, Jack ignores the accolades to work on getting better.

“I never let the attention get to my head, and I only concentrate on bettering myself each day.”

Ultimately, Jack displays hard work and focus each day to guarantee himself the best outcome in every situation.

Coming from that, Jack’s great accomplishment came with sacrifice.  Constantly he gave up time with friends, video games and even family to work on his craft. Jack practices kicking and works on his flexibility every other day for at least 2 hours, and sometimes travels all the way to Madison or Milwaukee to receive extra help knowing it will pay off in the long run.

“Every aspect of my training was important to my growth as a kicker and player.”

Kicking comes with pressure.

Kicking creates levels of pressure unmatch to other sports.

One kick can win or lose a game.

With this high level of pressure, Jack relies on his “technique and power” to deliver a perfect kick in crucial situations.

Making a field goal in college never comes easy, and Jack knows his first collegiate field goal make will be “surreal” not only for himself but for all of his friends and family who get to witness a kid from Neenah blossom into a star on a national stage.