Male linebacker, senior, Jack Kuerzi.
Male’s Jack Kuerzi is a leader of one of the state’s best defenses.
The 6-foot, 215-pound senior linebacker has a team-best 59 tackles for the unbeaten Bulldogs (11-0), who are No. 1 in The Courier-Journal’s Litkenhous Ratings. Kuerzi (pronounced Kerr-zy) also has one interception for Male, which ranked No. 1 in Class 6-A in scoring defense, No. 2 in rushing defense and No. 3 in passing defense during the regular season.
Kuerzi & Co. host 18th-ranked Manual (9-2) at 7:30 p.m. Friday in the second round of the Class 6-A state playoffs.
How did you get started playing football?
I actually started playing when I was 4 years old. I was living in Dallas, Texas, and we got a little pamphlet that came into all the schools and we saw it and I signed up.
Did you like it right away?
It’s funny, there was a time early when I kind of got hit on a cheap shot and I wanted to quit, I said, ‘I don’t want to play anymore,’ and my dad encouraged me, ‘Stay out there, give it a try.’ And I stayed out there and started doing well and fell in love with it.
What do you like about football?
Being with your brothers, the camaraderie that we have. It’s something you don’t see in anything else but football.
What are your thoughts on the season so far?
It’s been an excellent season thus far. Our mindset is state championship or bust, that’s our ultimate goal. Nothing that we’ve done previous, in the regular season, is going to help us now.
How much do you think about that loss to Trinity in last year’s playoffs?
I’d say every single day we think about it. It fuels our drive and our passion every day in practice.
This will be your last Male-Manual game, what’s that feel like?
It feels like everything is coming to fruition really. The work we’ve put in since we were freshmen, and it’s obviously emotional. It’s tough. Everything’s coming together to this one game as well.
MORE COVERAGE | Coach breaks down Male-Manual matchups
Do you know where you’re going to college?
I’m not really sure. I’ve got three or four different schools I’m looking at, I’m going to play ball in college and try to study medicine.
Why medicine?
In my life I want to be able to help people as a living and medicine is something that interests me. I like allowing people a better life. (Plus) my sister is also graduating from nursing school, so she kind of influenced me.
You grew up with three older sisters, what was that like?
Well it’s kind of funny, you always hear about, ‘Well I have an older brother who hardened me and got me ready for what it’s like,’ but I had three older sisters, so I guess that’s equal to about one older brother.
Did they dress you up when you were little?
I’ll tell you an embarrassing story, when I was little they thought it would be funny if they got me hooked on playing with a doll. The problem was I actually liked it so they got me a doll that I played with for a while. They definitely teased me when I was younger, to say the least.
What are your other hobbies?
I enjoy fishing, hunting, anything in the outdoors.
You played tight end your first two years, do you miss it?
They don’t like to let us back on the offensive side, but I’d kind of like to score a few points every now and again…(but) whatever coach thinks is best for the team.
JACK KUERZI UP CLOSE
School: Male.
Year: Senior.
Sport: Football.
Student-athlete: Jack, whose favorite classes are Special Friends (a class that allows him to work with, and help, special needs students), ROTC and AP Calculus, has a 3.7 GPA. In addition to being a four-year starter on the football team, Jack is also a member of the National Honor Society, Beta Club and Future Physicians of America.
Family: Jack, 17, lives with his mom, Dana; dad, Jeff; and younger brother Joseph, 13. He also has three older sisters: Briana, 23; Brooke, 21; and Blair, 19, all of whom attend the University of Kentucky.
Male coach Chris Wolfe says: “He’s a prototypical, perfect linebacker for you. He’s got the linebacker name, Jack Kuerzi, it doesn’t get much better than that. He’s got great quickness, he flies to the ball, he’s got incredible energy, he diagnoses blocking schemes really well. … He had 13 tackles against St. X. He just gets to the line of scrimmage and makes play after play after play. He’s really the heart of the defense for us. I can’t say enough about him. He’s an emotional leader, but he also leads on the field with his play, so you can’t get much better than that.”