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Under the Helmet: Jacob Herbers
9/13/2019 8:53:00 AM | Football
Jacob Herbers and his roommates don't see much of one another. Herbers, who graduated in the spring with a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, spends almost all of his time with football, in the lab or studying.
Herbers is a three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection and Minnesota's starting punter and holder. His success in both the classroom and on the field comes in part from the confidence and work ethic honed years ago as an Eagle Scout.
"They say that for every 100 boys that enter Boy Scouts, only one to three will become an Eagle Scout, and it takes a lot of dedication," Herbers said. "It takes multiple years to complete and teaches you a lot of hard work. The confidence that you build by completing something like that at an early age carries over."
Herbers said the scout motto of "Be prepared" set him up to feel comfortable facing many different situations, which has translated to his Gopher career. He redshirted his first season and held for two before punting last season. Herbers was put on scholarship in the spring as he heads into his final year with the Gophers.
His drive has also carried over to his academic pursuits. Coming from a family of engineers, a solid program in the field was just as important to him in the college search as football was. The department has provided him many opportunities a student-athlete may not always get.
"Something I've found here at the University of Minnesota is that the professors are willing to welcome any students, as long as you are there and wanting to learn and wanting to work hard," Herbers said. "It's kind of a dream come true."
Herbers is currently working in a lab that seeks to engineer a non-toxic solution for shipping frozen cells used in immunotherapy, a process he says involves constant troubleshooting, just like football.
He may not have a lot of free time on his hands, but the lessons Herbers learned about hard work and dedication early on have helped him balance it all.
"People say, 'You must be so smart, you're an engineer,' but, no. I don't think of myself as a genius or super intelligent," Herbers said. "With football, it's kind of the same thing. I wouldn't say that I'm the best athlete on this team by any means, but I put the work in and have focused effort."
Herbers is a three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection and Minnesota's starting punter and holder. His success in both the classroom and on the field comes in part from the confidence and work ethic honed years ago as an Eagle Scout.
"They say that for every 100 boys that enter Boy Scouts, only one to three will become an Eagle Scout, and it takes a lot of dedication," Herbers said. "It takes multiple years to complete and teaches you a lot of hard work. The confidence that you build by completing something like that at an early age carries over."
Herbers said the scout motto of "Be prepared" set him up to feel comfortable facing many different situations, which has translated to his Gopher career. He redshirted his first season and held for two before punting last season. Herbers was put on scholarship in the spring as he heads into his final year with the Gophers.
His drive has also carried over to his academic pursuits. Coming from a family of engineers, a solid program in the field was just as important to him in the college search as football was. The department has provided him many opportunities a student-athlete may not always get.
"Something I've found here at the University of Minnesota is that the professors are willing to welcome any students, as long as you are there and wanting to learn and wanting to work hard," Herbers said. "It's kind of a dream come true."
Herbers is currently working in a lab that seeks to engineer a non-toxic solution for shipping frozen cells used in immunotherapy, a process he says involves constant troubleshooting, just like football.
He may not have a lot of free time on his hands, but the lessons Herbers learned about hard work and dedication early on have helped him balance it all.
"People say, 'You must be so smart, you're an engineer,' but, no. I don't think of myself as a genius or super intelligent," Herbers said. "With football, it's kind of the same thing. I wouldn't say that I'm the best athlete on this team by any means, but I put the work in and have focused effort."
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