LAKEWOOD, Calif. -- Jihad Vercher is a quarterback after Angelo Jackson’s own heart.
It didn’t take long for Vercher, a soon-to-be senior quarterback at Salesian High School, to win Jackson over.
After the two met when Vercher was an eighth grader, Jackson gave his young pupil a homework assignment. The instructions were for Vercher to diagram plays that would be successful against Cover 2, Cover 2 Man, and Cover 3 defenses respectively.
What Jackson received in return blew him away.
“He came back with a booklet,” Jackson said holding his index finger and thumb about ¼ inch apart, replicating how thick the booklet was.
Vercher drew up a plethora of plays to attack each defense. What struck Jackson the most, Vercher didn’t use G for guard, C for center, or T for tackle like most amateurs. Vercher’s “booklet” was coachspeak on paper.
This spring has been an enjoyable one for Vercher, which he hopes transfers into a better summer as he prepares for his final season of high school football.
Already under his belt is a second place finish at the Elite 11 Camp in Oakland, finishing only behind future USC Trojan Max Browne. He also took home second place at the NFTC Cerritos and the FBU at Oaks Christian.
The world of recruiting can often times be a numbers game. Along with his success at recent camps, Vercher’s 2011 season was eye-popping as far as numbers go. As a junior, he threw for 3,281 yards and 38 touchdowns, while completing 63.8% of his passes.
He also rushed for 11 touchdowns.
Scouting reports on Vercher say he has a strong arm, he can spin it and “if he were two or three inches taller,” he’d be a sure fire Division I prospect.
Vercher stands six feet tall. That’s a number that doesn’t sit too well with recruiters in reference to quarterbacks.
“I know I’m not average height for a quarterback but I feel I can throw with the best of them,” Vercher said. “Size doesn’t matter. It’s about production.”
Jackson agrees.
“In terms of his skills, he’s off the charts,” Jackson said. “The only thing he’s not off the chart is everyone says he’s too short. I always say production or size, which one is greater? Production to me is greater. The kid can do everything.”
This time last year, Vercher, barely done with his sophomore year in high school, led 4th Quarter Sports to a 7-on-7 championship at the Big Man On Campus Tournament over the host 1925 All Stars. 1925 was comprised of mostly four and five-star recruits in the class of 2012. Vercher led his team to an overtime win in the championship game.
Winning that tournament provided a big confidence boost.
“It gave me a lot of confidence,” Vercher said. “It made me feel like all these big name people – it doesn’t really matter. (If you) just do you, you’ll come out victorious.”
He took that confidence into the 2011 season and led Salesian to the Northeast Division semifinals.
So far, that success has failed to yield much in return on the recruiting front. Northern Arizona, Maryland, and Bowling Green are the only schools thus far that felt the need to present scholarship offers.
Without the abundance of scholarship offers pouring in, Vercher continues to go to work. He does so not with the guidance of a nationally recognized quarterback coach, but under the tutelage of Jackson.
Since the two met when Vercher was an eighth grader, Jackson has served as his personal quarterback coach. Jackson took on the role after seeing Vercher at a high ranking quarterback camp and being treated unfairly.
“It was a major event and they kind of pushed him to the side and he was one of the few African American quarterbacks,” Jackson said. “We’re making a lot of money and I’m like we can train a kid for free and they didn’t want to do it so I said I’ll do it for him because his parents didn’t have money and what does it cost you for an hour or two a day?
“(Today) I see almost a finished product.”
In Jackson, Vercher found not only a quarterback coach but someone he had a lot in common with.
“He can relate to me better than any of those other quarterback coaches,” Vercher said. “He grew up the same way I grew up. All these (quarterback coaches) they charge the people that got money. I don’t have money and he pretty much helped me out.”
On the field, Vercher says Jackson “polished me off.”
2012 represents the finishing touches. Bitter from the semifinal exit of 2011, Vercher has CIF State Bowl aspirations for his senior season. He believes if he enjoys team success, any further questions Division I coaches have about him will be answered.
“The offers, I know they’ll come so I’m not really worried about it,” Vercher said. “All I need a championship under my belt.”
