Philpot aims to forge own path (VIDEO)

Couple of CWUAA schools on Seahawks’ standout’s radar.

Sequam Seahawks stabdout Jalen Philpot eager to show the steps he has taken to becoming a better player in the coming months.

Jalen Philpot

Height/Weight:
5’10, 160 lbs

Positions:
Running Back, Defensive Back, Receiver, Special Teams (Punt Return)

Teams:
Seaquam Seahawks (high school: BCHSFA)
North Delta Longhorns

Commitment:
None

Official Visits:
None

Considerations:
Calgary, British Columbia, Open

Class:
2018

As the son of CFL Hall of Famer Cory Philpot, Jalen Philpot has used the strong football roots implanted in him to pave his own path within football by taking up the legacy his father has laid out for him. Starting out in 2006, Philpot started playing football for the North Delta Longhorns in British Columbia. Since then Jalen has played for several football teams in the region such as Holy Cross and Seaquam Secondary.

After Seaquam Seahawks made the big move from AA to AAA, Philpot knew he needed to make the adjustments necessary to acclimate himself the new level of competition, while at the same time, making sure he enjoyed playing the game.

“We went from AA to AAA, so we knew it was going to be tough, but we just wanted to have fun and enjoy the season. We definitely wanted revenge against Vancouver College because they beat us badly last year.”

Seaquam played Vancouver College twice in 2015, beating them once in the regular season and in the playoffs as well.

During Seaquam’s second matchup against Vancouver College is when Philpot witnessed he and his teammates reach their maximum potential. That moment was special for Philpot because the Seahawks wanted to prove how far the team had come since the teams’ matchup in the previous season.

“The amount of discipline we had when we played Vancouver College was evident because we all just wanted to get the job done especially since they underestimated us a lot. With that, we went in there and spanked them in their own house twice.”

When the Seahawks took on New West in their next game, Seaquam came into the matchup as huge underdogs. However, Philpot was proud of the effort he and his teammates gave, as the better team did not intimidate them.

“Our guys put their heart into that game and we didn’t play bad, our opponent was just very good. I had great respect for our guys after the game.”

Considering many of the Seahawks players were juniors, it was up to the senior players to lead by example and encourage hard work and strong performance for the younger players. The cohesion the younger players and senior players exhibited allowed for the Seahawks to excel in 2015 and this factor has made Philpot excited.

In one’s life, parents typically play an important role in the development of a person during their lifetime. For the Seahawks running back, Jalen’s parents have contributed a great deal to their son’s life, both on and off the field. With Jalen’s father guiding his son through his experience and expertise, Jalen’s mother also makes her impact felt by providing advice to her son on what it takes to be successful.

“My mom is the one always one me about what people are doing to get better, and that people that play professional sports very rarely have things given to them in their lap without doing anything. With my father, he always says that I’ve been there so I can want it for you, but in the end if you want it, you got to go out and do it. I’ll show you the path, it’s up to you to follow it.”

With the stability and constant support to achieve great things, Jalen’s parents are easily the most influential people to him.

Being a multi-sport athlete, Philpot can appreciate the greatness that elite athletes exude during their performances. Philpot’s favorite athlete is Los Angeles Lakers’ legend Kobe Bryant not only for the spectacular career he left fans with but also for his grit, determination, and willpower to strive for greatness every time out.

“From day one, there was always this comparison to Michael Jordan and people have hated him for that. With that, he just silences the haters with his game because he is so aggressive and wants to get under your skin while still keeping his composure and playing his game.”

Despite playing different sports, Philpot believes these attributes Bryant has exhibited throughout his career are transferable to any aspect of life if you have the desire to achieve greatness.

When Jalen started playing football, it almost seemed to be a natural decision to play running back because it was the same position his father once played professionally. Once Philpot became acclimated with the position, he also developed a liking to the physicality and explosiveness one could display.

“I love the contact, it just thrills me. Also, when you break out of the hole and there’s just an open field, it excites me.”

Playing defensive back as well, Philpot gets excitement out of playing deep coverage and the anticipation of making a hit on an opponent.

With Jalen’s parents expressing the importance of education as well, the Seahawks’ Offensive Player of the Year is carefully plotting out what he intends to do in university and after his education is complete. Due to his father’s past career, Philpot has considered the path of being a professional athlete in either football to basketball. As well, Philpot has developed an interest in business and would like to pursue a degree with the possibility of utilizing that education for a career in business.

With Philpot’s father being an alumnus of the University of Mississippi, there has always been the intrigue of one day playing for the same school his father used to star for.

“I haven’t really put anything out there but my dad has friends at Ole Miss that have gotten my film and have told him they are interested.”

In addition to being interested in the Rebels, Philpot is also shown interest in the University of Calgary and the University of British Colombia. Although Philpot at this moment is overly concerned with recruiting, he is having his highlight tapes sent to schools across the United States to gauge the interest of NCAA schools abroad to give Philpot more opportunities to excel both athletically and academically.

During the 2015 season, Jalen was instrumental in the team’s success as he posted 24 rushing touchdowns and 1300 rushing yards. Going into 2016, the Seahawks will have a deeper and more experienced roster than they did in 2015, and Jalen is looking forward to being one of the focal points on the team yet again. To become that player he envisions, Philpot wants to increase his short area bursts when playing running back and improve his coverage skills when playing defensive back. To improve these skills, Jalen has taken the time to get out and run routes along with engaging in footwork drills with a few friends.

Looking to keep himself in great athletic shape year round, Jalen has kept himself busy with other sports. As football season came to a close, Philpot went on to play basketball, as this is another sport Jalen is extremely passionate about. With basketball and football season over, Jalen has had this recent time to settle down into his schedule and academics.