Athlete of the Week: Jack Mitchell, Vandalia-Butler High School

Name: Jack Mitchell

School: Vandalia-Butler

Grade: Senior

Age: 18

Sports: Football, baseball

Claim to fame/honors: Football captain, earned All-GWOC North honors last year; plays safety and receiver in football; center fielder in baseball; carries 3.95 grade-point average; scored 30 on ACT; plans to major in engineering in college and hopes to play football.

Bet you didn’t know … My dad and I were throwing a football back and forth before I could even walk

Words you live by: You can’t always be the most talented, but you can always be the hardest working

Toughest opponent: Massillon Perry

Biggest influence: My dad

Match-day rituals: I have to dress in a certain order and I always listen to the same album.

What’s on your bedroom walls? My trophies from since I was a little kid take up most of my wall along with a huge poster of a football player running out onto the field.

When I’m bored I like … Listening to music. I also like to swim and play golf in my free time.

Favorite movie: Step Brothers

Person who would play you in a movie: Tom Hanks

Favorite TV show: How I Met Your Mother

Favorite musical artist: Kanye West

I can’t live without: My family’s Sunday dinners

I can live without: English class

Event you’d like to attend: The Summer Olympics

Favorite book: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Favorite home-cooked meal: Steak and potatoes

Favorite restaurant: BD’s Mongolian Grill

Favorite smell: Whenever somebody’s got something cooking on the grill

Favorite cereal: Reese’s Puffs

Store where you’d like a shopping spree: Dick’s Sporting Goods

Vegetable you won’t eat: Brussels sprouts

I’d love to trade places for a day with … Usain Bolt. I want to know how it feels to be able to run that fast.

Whose mind would you like to read? The President

Place where you’d love to travel? Hawaii

Talent you’d like to have? I’ve always wanted to be able to sing

Favorite school subject: Math

Favorite athlete: It’s always been Brett Favre

Favorite team: Green Bay Packers

Favorite Olympic sport: Bobsledding

Something in the world I’d like to change: I wish people were not as reliant on and glued to technology

Favorite sports moment: Having two interceptions on the road against Massillon Perry in a tight game

Favorite junk food: Peanut butter pie

Best thing about football: Going back into the locker room after a win and going absolutely insane

In 10 years, I hope to be … finically stable with a job I love and living close to my family

Nominate an Athlete of the Week: Send an email to freelance writer Dave Lamb at d_lamb@msn.com. Please include the athlete's name, school, sport and a phone number or email address where we can reach that athlete. Please include Athlete of the Week in the subject line.

About the Author