Five Minutes with Jayden Thomas

Sophomore Jayden Thomas combines his passions for Kendama and music in his school outfit before senior night. Photo: Charlie Hirsch

Knightly News: Hey, JT.

Jayden Thomas: What’s up? (throws the football to sophomore Sam Selig on the other side of the gardens)

KN: So, you play baseball, basketball and football, right?

JT: Yup.

KN: Do you have a favorite?

JT: I would say my strongest is football, but I like them all.

KN: Cool, cool. Which positions do you play?

JT: Baseball, I play third, center field and shortstop. Football, I play wide receiver, safety and corner. Basketball, I play small forward. (catches the ball from Selig)

KN: So, you have WR offers from Michigan, UNC, Ohio State and UVA.

JT: Yessir.

KN: Any thought as to which you prefer right now?

JT: Right now, probably OSU because they recruited me the most, plus there’s stuff on Twitter about how they like me.

KN: Cool. If you could go out with any female, who would it be?

JT: (Smiles) Umm, any female?

KN: Any female in the world.

JT: In the world? Sheesh. Definitely Kylie Jenner.

KN: Alright. Where do you expect to be 10 years from now?

JT: I don’t know what I’m gonna be. All I know is, I’m gonna be rich.

KN: Cool, cool. If you could eat any food for the rest of your life, what would it be?

JT: Definitely pizza.

KN: Do you have a hard time balancing school and sports at all?

JT: Yeah. It’s challenging, but I just gotta get through it, because I’m an athlete and academics are important, too.

KN: Do you want to be a multi-sport athlete in college?

JT: I would like to, yeah. If I did, it would likely be baseball and football.

KN: How’s your relationship with QB1, senior Jared Rayman?

JT: Oh you know, me and Jayray, we’re boys. We like to fool around in practice; we have fun. We get the job done on the field, too.

KN: Nice. Do you have a professional player after whom you model your wide receiver game?

JT: Um, I would say probably Julio [Jones], or Stefon Diggs.

KN: OK, who’s your favorite teacher?

JT: Ah, that’s a hard one. Probably Smenny or Mrs. Terry.

KN: Who’s Smenny?

JT: Mr. Smentek.

KN: Who is your favorite football teammate, and why?

JT: Probably my boy [sophomore] Justin Johnson, you know. We’re just boys. I don’t know, we have this thing where like on the field we’re just brothers and same with off the field, so we just have a close bond.

KN: Do you have a biggest fan or supporter?

JT: Definitely, my mom. She’s always in the stands, screaming. (chuckles)

KN: How do you spend your free time?

JT: In the summer, most of the time I go fishing, and now I either fish or hang out with friends.

KN: Last question: so far this season you have 18 catches for 388 yards and three touchdowns, but which was your favorite catch this season?

JT: Definitely the one-handed one I had in the first game against New Manchester for a touchdown.

KN: Alright, thanks for talking with me.

JT: You, too.