By Dave Merchant
Special to the Independent
At 12 years old, Belleville resident Jackson Rosiek has become quite an expert in attending football camps to better his skills. He is looking to raise money to attend the Military Appreciation Bowl Week National Combine in Dallas, Texas, December 17-20. This would be his third such trip to one of these national events.
“I was lucky to have my first trip sponsored by Ann Arbor VFW post 423,” Rosiek said. “They were very generous and paid for the whole trip down to Texas for me and my mother to go. The second trip was a lot closer, in Virginia, so we drove as a family and my parents ended up paying for it all. It was a lot more cost effective for us to pay for it ourselves and drive down there than the ones in Texas are.”
Rosiek’s father was in the Army from 2009 to 2016. He was in the 82nd Airborne Division as a Paratrooper and Calvary Scout and was deployed to both Iraq and Afghanistan. It was his involvement in the VFW that resulted in the funding for his son’s first trip.
Currently, Jackson Rosiek plays for the Canton Lions as an outside linebacker and tight end. His mother, Barbara, has worked with the Eastern Michigan University (EMU) football program. His father is Mark.
“I started attending these combines when I was 10 years old,” he said. “These camps are staffed by former and current NFL/NCAA coaches, players and scouts,” he said. “Anytime someone can go and pick the brain of an NFL coach or former coach it’s an amazing experience. I know I can always improve and get better at reading plays, and I need to improve my zone coverage as a linebacker. One thing I know I personally want to work on is being able to diagnose plays while on the field.”
He has learned valuable lessons from experienced coaches and has been able to take the knowledge he has learned back onto the football field at his age.
“One of the things this program does is it helps you understand the recruiting process; I walk away with nutrition and training plans to help me develop down the line,” he said. “I am given realistic drills that are used by high level players to build my skill set and it helps to build my network in the area that I want to pursue in life. To give a bit of a shout out, Coach Ted Cottrell, Former Defensive Coordinator of the Buffalo Bills (’98-’00), New York Jets (’01-’03), Minnesota Vikings (’04-’06), and the San Diego Chargers (’07-’09) and a newly inducted NFL Hall of Famer, has helped me a lot in understanding how the game works and how to be a better leader on the field.
“He has been a wealth of knowledge when it comes to learning how to react to different on-field situations, improvising when need be and learning how to see what is going to happen on a play before the ball is even snapped.”
Rosiek is hoping to get some help from the community to raise funds for the trip.
“I’m doing everything I can to help pay for my trip by doing yard work, picking up animal waste, collecting returnable bottles, and taking on other small jobs,” he said. “I’m also reaching out to local businesses to see if they would be willing to help sponsor part of my trip.”
The more camps he attends, the better this young football player feels he can do on the grid iron. His experience level jumps with each camp as well as his desire to improve in the game he loves so much.
“Any donation, big or small, would mean so much to me,” he announced. “Every dollar will go toward my travel expenses, hotel, event fees, and other costs. I truly appreciate any support, and I will personally thank every business or person who helps me get to Dallas.”
If you have any questions or would like to help please contact, his mother, Barbara Rosiek, at 734-673-7452.
He wants to help as much as he can to pay for this camp.
“On our previous trips, my father helped me to secure the VFW sponsorship and on the last one my parents just paid for it,” he said. “These camps can be expensive, and I want to help put together the funds this time. These trips help me develop more as a player and as a young man, I want to help them out and share some of the financial burden by taking responsibility for my future.”