When Jackson Venator took his seat inside Ellwein Center on Athletic Signing Day earlier this year, the moment represented a well-earned milestone, even if the road that led him there was somewhat unexpected.
Venator signed at the February 4th ceremony to continue his football career at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where he will study either engineering or business. The Orange Lutheran senior will compete at the Division I level while receiving an elite education, and he will ultimately go on to serve his country.
What is unique about his journey is that unlike many of his football peers, Venator spent his elementary years on the baseball diamond, not the gridiron. He played just one year of tackle football as an eighth grader before the start of his freshman year at OLu.
Although he was newer to the sport, there was never a doubt in Venator's mind that he would play high school football. He's the oldest son of Lancer alums Scott '99 and Jen '98 Venator and has several family members who attended OLu and played in the football program.
"That's where my mom and dad met," said Venator. "My mom's sister and both my uncles on my dad's side all went to OLu. And my dad and uncles played football, so I assumed that I was going to play football too."
Still passionate about baseball, Venator came into OLu as a dual-sport athlete, just as his father had. He joined both freshman teams, pitching and playing first base and outfield in baseball, while establishing himself as an offensive lineman in football.
His sophomore year, Venator moved up to JV in both programs, and on the football field, his 6'-7" frame and his O-line mentality and athleticism began to catch the eye of the OLu coaching staff, specifically varsity offensive lineman coach and college recruitment coordinator Chris Ward.
During his junior football season on the JV team, Venator got opportunities with the varsity squad, but with a group of talented senior offensive linemen ahead of him who are now competing in Division I college programs, he found it tough to break into the lineup.
"They were all really good," Venator said of his former teammates. "It's hard to start your football career in high school and get to a point where you can start on one of the top teams in the nation."
Although his varsity playing time was limited, Ward saw strong potential in Venator. He told him that if he committed fully to football and used the offseason before his senior year to add weight and develop his skills, he could have a future at the collegiate level.
"I was very honest with him," said Ward. "I told him from my experience of seeing guys like you make it at the next level, you have a very high ceiling in football."
While excited about the possibilities, this left Venator with a difficult choice to make at the end of his junior season.
"At the time, if I asked myself what sport I was better in, I would say baseball," said Venator. "But my whole goal since I was little was to play Division 1, either football or baseball. It's always been my desire. And once I learned that with my size for football that I could get D1 offers, then that checked that box."
At the end of football season, Venator sought advice from his parents, who suggested he consider his next steps by spending time in prayer and speaking with the head coaches from both sports.
"Our theory as parents is that it is our mission to create an independent person," said Jen Venator. "We are raising somebody who does not need us, and so we've started that from very, very young… We asked him to do a lot of discernment."
On his own, Venator met with both coaches, and after much prayer, he ultimately decided to commit to football. Motivated by self-discipline, he was relentless in his focus and quickly began to see significant results.
"It was the best decision of my life," said Venator. "I couldn't have prayed for anything better. Since that moment, I've put on 60 pounds of muscle. I'm much stronger. I put in so much work in my offseason that it allowed me to be able to start as a senior."
The summer before his senior season, Venator attended several football camps to showcase his development to college coaches, and with Ward's support in guiding Lancer players and families through the recruiting process, the offers began to come in.
"Coach Ward was there every step of the way," said Scott Venator. "He kept it very real with us, told us which schools were in his range based on his current talent level and potential. And then any time the right school would be around or available, Ward always set up a meeting with Jackson."
Venator committed to a college at the start of his senior year, but his recruitment journey took a bit of an unexpected turn when the program later pulled their offer, leaving him without a clear path forward.
Ward stepped back in, reached out to his network of college contacts, particularly to programs that were still interested in Venator, and identified what ultimately proved to be the perfect fit.
A high-achieving student who was also considering Ivy League schools, Venator prioritized attending a college that would challenge him academically and support his long-term career goals. He found that environment at the Air Force Academy.
"It just seems like who I am fit at Air Force," said Venator. "It feels like home, and it feels like everything I've put into my entire life… I'm looking forward to making lifelong friends and brothers."
It was just as evident to his parents that their son had found where he belonged.
"The more we learned, the more we realized that this is Jackson," said Jen Venator. "It really is the brotherhood that he's looking to establish when he goes to college. He wants to be a part of something that's bigger than himself… We're proud of him in all ways."
Ward feels Venator's full potential as an offensive lineman is still to come, and he credits the Lancer senior with trusting the process and continuing to put in the work day in and day out.
"I admire him immensely," said Ward of Venator. "His path is probably one of the harder ones I've had to coach through just because his light at the end of the tunnel was very bleak for a long time. His perseverance through that process, I don't think I've seen anything like it from a developmental standpoint."
As he takes these next steps toward reaching that higher level, Venator will approach his roles on and off the field at the Air Force Academy with purpose, roles he believes he has been preparing for his entire life.
"I feel like I've always been a protector," said Venator. "I'm an older brother. I've had to protect the important people in my life, and then I stepped into a position in football where my job is to protect the quarterback. So I feel like this is a great opportunity for me to continue to be a protector by protecting the country."
Venator is grateful to his family for their unwavering support and to his coaches and teammates for pushing him to be his best. At OLu, he found the ideal balance of athletics and academics in a community where faith is a priority.
"The coaching I received throughout these past four years has been the best I've received in my 17 years of playing sports," said Venator of OLu. "And at the same time, the coaches are preaching Jesus. All of my beliefs and combining those two were just the best thing that could happen. God is at the forefront. Everything goes to him and everything I do is because of him."
