Speed School athlete Jason Sweet, a member of the U.S. military returning to the collegiate level at the age of 26, has successfully tried out for – and made – the University of Arizona football team as a linebacker.
Sweet had somewhat of an unusual path to becoming a Wildcat: He was a prep star at Payson High School and originally attended Grand Canyon University on a baseball scholarship, but his career as a pitcher was cut short by a shoulder injury. Shortly thereafter, he joined the military and quickly rose to become a Sergeant in the elite Special Operations unit, serving with expeditionary units in Southern Afghanistan.
Since returning from combat, Sweet has returned to school at the University of Arizona to pursue his medical degree, but has not lost his competitive and athletic drive. Already a strong athlete at 6′-3″ and 225, he has spent the last 12 months training at the Desert Speed School to improve his overall speed and agility. Among other things, he dropped his 40-yard dash time from a 5.05 to a 4.65 (electric timed), his 5-10-5 shuttle time from a 4.78 to a 4.31, and added an inch to his standing vertical jump to an impressive 32.0″.
This fall, he attended a tryout for the football team and shortly thereafter received a call from the coaches officially welcoming him as a Wildcat. Congratulations to Jason for all your hard work and commitment – we look forward to seeing you make a difference on the field!